N/R: Kpene residents flee town over ‘witches’ attack

Over 700 residents of Kpene, a community in the Sagnarigu district of the Northern region have fled the town over what they say is an attack on them by perceived witches in the area. The youth reportedly abandoned the community Sunday morning, leaving children and women following the strange death of a local. According to Starr News sources, the deceased, Muniru Dokurugu,37, died after a protracted sickness, residents believed was plagued on her by the witches. Circumstances surrounding the sickness was reported to the Sagnarigu Chief Naa Yakubu Abdulai who in turn summoned the alleged suspects to his palace.

Naa Yakubu, ordered the suspects to ensure that the sick person was cured of the spiritual ailment. However, Muniru died at a hospital last night at about 11pm. Her death has sparked chaos in the community with the youth threatening to attack the alleged witches, who they believe caused the death.

They claim they have identified two persons; a man and woman, as those behind the act. They are therefore calling on the chief to banish the suspects by Sunday evening or they will attack them themselves. Starr News visited the community and found people mostly women and children sitting in clusters under trees looking worried and intermittently murmuring to each other.

The body of the deceased has still not been buried in expectation that the chief will act. The assembly member of the area Issah Zaliah said residents have been living in fear due to the strange deaths in the area, adding that there is nothing she can do to help the situation.

"In this particular community, it is even now that people are resettling there. People fear to go there and settle because the whole community are witches; both men and women" "There is nothing I can do about it, it is the chiefs who have to work on it. Assembly person has nothing to do with this".