Two Nigerian men who participated in burying an elderly man alive after accusing him of witchcraft have been arrested by the country’s Benue State police.
The incident happened at Ikyve, a community in Konshisha Local Government of the state where the elderly man, named Ihwakaa Ikyve was accused of being behind the deaths of some people in the area.
Pulse.ng reports that Catherine Anene, the police spokesperson in the state disclosed the developments to newsmen on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in Makurdi.
“An elderly man was buried alive because it was alleged that he sent lightning to his two sons and wife. One of the sons was just two-month-old,” the police spokesperson is quoted as saying.
According to the news website, the said deceased were reportedly struck by lightning following a rainstorm in the area on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
However, some youths accused Ihwakaa Ikyve of being responsible for the deaths, claiming that he sent lightning to kill the deceased who are said to be his own family members.
“The irate youth went and buried him alive and he died in the grave before he was rescued. Police are investigating the incident. We have arrested two people already,” Anene added.
Mob action is on the increase in Nigeria just like it is in Ghana, with many victims not having the chance to defend themselves in a court of law against accusations levelled against them, some of which are baseless.