Sierra Leone Ritual Murders: A Woman’s Life Valued at $3,000

BBC Africa Eye delved into how the homicides of individuals for sorcerous ceremonies largely evade consequences and who fuels the trade in bodily remains.

In Sierra Leone, countless families are suffering ordeals linked to ceremonial slayings, where human remains are employed for mystical rites known as juju.

This is declared in the BBC article.

The mother of 11-year-old Papayo, who fell victim to such an offense four years prior, is yet to see justice served. The boy's corpse was discovered in a well, missing limbs and key organs.

“Today, I am hurting. They murdered my offspring, and there is only quiet,” Salley Kaloko expressed to BBC Africa Eye.

Ritualistic activities guaranteeing clients prosperity and influence through talismans crafted from bodily components frequently escape attention from law enforcement. The country, home to roughly 9 million inhabitants, has only one forensic expert, complicating evidence collection and probes.

The BBC crew encountered a pair of juju adepts who verified that human body parts were being traded for ceremonies. One, known as Kanu, even unveiled a human cranium and quoted a sum of $3,000. Another, Idara, professed to have a cohort of herbalists capable of satisfying any request.

Sierra Leonean traditional healers have strived to separate themselves from these “dark” practices, asserting they sully the name of genuine traditional medicine. “When an individual aspires to leadership… they sever pieces from people and employ them for sway,” clarified Sheku Tarawalliye, head of the Traditional Healers Council.

Legal authorities conduct operations with the support of traditional healers, yet the majority of offenses remain unsolved or are deemed accidental or caused by natural causes. Calamities persist: during a BBC inquiry in May, 28-year-old Fatmata Konte was slain in Makeni. The family defrayed the costs to transport the body for an autopsy, but no official arrests have been made.

Source: tsn.ua