Alleged witchcraft: Woman, 70, lynched over step-son’s ordeal

By GBENGA ARIYIBI

… How she was tortured in Ekiti palace, by daughter
ADO-EKITI—A 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi, was, yesterday, lynched by a mob in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State, over alleged witchcraft, even as the deceased family petitioned the police, asking for justice.
Narrating the ordeal her mother passed through to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, the first daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Grace Smith, said her mother was invited to the palace of Olomuo, Oba Noah Omonigbehin, some time last May on allegation that she used her witchcraft power to harm her step-son, one Ola.
“On getting to Olomuo’s palace, the family was asked to come the following day at 6a.m. and on the said day, the palace was full to the brim. She was then asked to undress to the pants, after which a series of questions were asked. My mother was then given a concoction (Obo leave)said to make witches confess and die. My dear mother was told that she would die within seven days if she was involved in Ola’s matter.
Woman forced to drink concoction
“Nine days passed and nothing happened and I left for my base in Lagos. Three weeks after, June 26, some youths in the town went to our house and brought out my mother and forced her to drink a poisonous item. They then took her outside into the rain where she was beaten and subjected to serious torture. When she was almost dying they took her back into her room and laid her on the bed. She died on June 30.
”While she was being beaten, some youths went to the house of her younger sister, Mrs Anike Orojo, who was also beaten for daring to cater for her.”
Corpse missing
Grace said of the family members knew the whereabout of the corpse of her late mother.
Commenting on the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, said the police got report about the incident and the petition by the family.
The police boss narrated how the state Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dayo Akinlaja, contacted him about the issue on the said day. He said nobody had been arrested because no eyewitness to the alleged crime had come forward to identify any suspect.
Wakama said police could not rely on the names listed by the lawyers in their petition because they were not at the scene of the alleged crime.
Wakama said the command would send an ambulance to Omuo-Ekiti to bring the corpse for autopsy at a government hospital in Ado-Ekiti.The police boss said a member of the deceased’s family, who was reportedly an eyewitness, had agreed to come forward and identify the suspects. He promised that justice would be done in the matter.
When contacted on phone, Oba Omonigbehin asked reporters to come over to Omuo-Ekiti along with the persons who said they were witnesses to the incident.
Meanwhile, the family’s lawyer, Mr. Dele Omotoso, in a petition dated July 5, to the police, claimed that Mrs. Adewumi was subjected to trial by ordeal. He urged the police to investigate the circumstances leading to her death.
Culled: Vanguard