Residents turn wrath on 'herbalist' after girl's death

(PHOTO CREDIT: Lawrence Okwakol)

Residents of a remote village in Pallisa district torched the home of a suspected traditional herbalist on Thursday, accusing him of murdering a one-year-old child.

This happened in Apepete village in Akisim sub-county.

Lawrence Oluka, 33, has since gone into hiding. He apparently left home with the baby after the mother, with whom he stayed, had gone to collect water at a borehole.

The two - Oluka and the dead child's mother (Bena Nakiria) - were said to be cohabiting lovers.

Residents said the fugitive suspect could have murdered the baby for ritual purposes - to gain wealth.

Simon Ekorie, the area LC1 chairperson, said some locals ploughing at a swamp saw Oluka carrying the baby but did worry since they knew he was having an affair with the child's mother.

Later, Nakiria reported to Ekorie about the disappearance of his ‘husband' and child. But mysteriously, the child was stealthily brought back home - dead - at around 9.00am local time Thursday.

Local police are now hunting for the runaway man and have appealed to residents to assist in finding him.

News of the child's apparent murder sparked an angry response from some locals who stormed the home of Oluka and torched three grass-thatched structures, police said.

Mathias Turyasingura, the district police of commander of Pallisa, confirmed both incidents and said police picked the baby's body and took it to Pallisa General Hospital for a postmortem examination.

"We are asking the members of the public to provide information leading to the arrested of Oluka. This is a capital offence which should not be played with by the community," he said.

Meanwhile, an inconsolable Nakiria said she did not know where to take her child for burial since Oluka had lured her out of her marriage with the child's father, promising her a better life.

She said they have been together for only a short time.

"This man has been with me for just two months and promised me all I wanted to stay happy but instead he has turned out to be a murderer," she wept.

Another woman said to have had an affair with Oluka was taken in for questioning. Police said Betty Alupo would help them in ongoing investigations.

She told police that while still living with Oluka, people would come in the night to consult him on witchcraft-related matters.

Panicked, she told police that she was innocent and did not have anything to do with the baby's death, saying she in fact helped Nakiria to look for the missing child.

For now, the child's death remains a mystery as investigations continue and with Oluka still at large.