An 8-year-old girl, whose identity has been withheld, was allegedly set ablaze by a 60 year old man in Sabon Layi, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on the for being a ‘witch.’
The man Yakubu Vong, who is now in police custody in Jos, set the girl ablaze while urging her to confess and renounce her witchcraft.
According to Vanguard newspaper reports, the man had allegedly lured the little girl to his house where he proceeded to force her to confess to being a witch. The girl’s insistence on innocence and refusal to ‘confess’ further infuriated the man who went ahead to bathe her with fuel and set her ablaze.
Although she was rushed to the hospital after she was set on fire, she died shortly after from the burns she suffered.
The deceased girl’s uncle, Mr. James Bamu, reiterated the girl’s innocence wondering which proof the suspect had to have accused her of witchcraft. He called on the law to deal decisively with suspect to serve as a warning to others involved in what he termed a barbaric act.
Mr. Emmanuel Obuh, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer while confirming the incident described it as a sad situation adding that the suspect was in police custody while investigations are still ongoing.
