Njuri Ncheke elders arrest 'witchcraft' suspect, find dead bats, locks of human hair in house

Residents claimed witchcraft has destroyed families, saying some people had died and others got disabled. [Courtesy]

The Njuri Ncheke supreme council of elders from their small Kaongo village house arrested a farmer of Kaberia age set for allegedly engaging in witchcraft.

The octogenarian from Kamaroo village in Uringu division, Tigania West, Meru was blamed for the misfortunes the locals in the village face.

The Njuri Ncheke elders also discovered paraphernalia such as human hair, horns, folded black items, and bats in his house.

Francis Mureamburi, area Njuri Ncheke chair, said authority was bestowed upon him to intervene on behalf of Njuri Ncheke elders and residents, to enter any house suspected to have witchcraft material, remove the witch and restore peace.

“I can be sent to any part of Meru through powers bestowed upon me by Tigania Njuri Ncheke elders to move in any house or homes suspected to have witchcraft material and remove it for good and burn all equipment or paraphernalia to ashes," Mureamburi said.

The elder also added that the suspect has eight sons who protect him, and the council is searching for them.

Killed many people

Residents claimed witchcraft has destroyed families, saying some people had died and others got disabled. 

"There are paraphernalia that were found in his house. It looks like he has killed many people going by the human hair found," one resident said.

The residents alleged that many young people from the village had been bewitched as they are now 'insane'.

They also said that children have stopped going to school. 

"My husband was bewitched and he died," a woman said.

Mureamburi said the paraphernalia recovered from the octogenarian's house would be taken to Njuri Ncheke elders for further action.

He appealed to all those practising witchcraft to surrender before Njuri Ncheke elders catch up with them.

"We will get reports and catch up with you wherever you are," he said.

The dramatic arrest comes just two weeks after three people were killed at Mweru village in South Imenti.

Fredrick Kaini Nkabu, 70, Samuel Mwamba, 72, and Zachary Kaburu were hacked to death and their bodies set ablaze by unknown attackers.