The family of Sallay Kalokoh cannot forget the horror they experienced four years ago when their 11-year-old son Papayo was killed, likely as part of a ritual sacrifice. His body was found with missing organs and one arm, which deprived the family of the opportunity to hold a funeral.
“It’s unbearable. They killed my child, and now there’s this silence,” Sallay shared her grief with BBC Africa Eye.
Her son went to the market to sell fish but did not return. After two weeks of searching, his body was discovered at the bottom of a well. “We always tell the children to be careful. Don’t go to secluded places and don’t accept gifts from strangers. This happens in our country,” she added.
The murder in her hometown of Makeni haunts her, and according to Sallay, cases of ritual murders associated with black magic known as juju remain largely unaddressed by the police. In her son’s case, law enforcement did not even confirm that it was a ritual murder.
Practitioners of juju promise their clients wealth and power, making them believe that human remains enhance magical amulets. However, in a country with a population of 8.9 million and only one pathologist, gathering evidence becomes extremely difficult.
Belief in witchcraft is deeply rooted in society, and some police officers fear delving into such cases. This is why most of these crimes remain unsolved.
During the investigation, BBC Africa Eye managed to find two men who claimed to practice juju and could provide body parts for rituals. One even boasted of having influential clients across West Africa, but these claims could not be verified.
The Price of a Human Body
One BBC staff member worked undercover, posing as a politician seeking to enhance his power through human sacrifice. During the first meeting with a juju priest named Kanu, who hid his face behind a red mask, he boasted about his connections with major politicians in neighboring countries.
He claimed that during elections, his shrine fills with people eager for power. During a second visit, Kanu showed "Osman" a human skull that he said was prepared for clients.
“This is a female skull. I dried it for them. I’m waiting for someone to come pick it up,” he said. When “Osman” requested female limbs, the priest quoted a price: “70 million leones (about $3,000).” After this, the BBC team decided to cease cooperation with him for safety reasons, but all collected materials were handed over to the police.
Conflict with Traditional Healers
Some juju practitioners refer to themselves as herbalists, which is misleading since local healers use plants to treat ailments. According to the WHO, in a country that has experienced civil war and an Ebola outbreak, there are about 1,000 registered doctors, while the number of traditional healers reaches 45,000.
Sheku Tarawally, head of the council of traditional healers, stated that “people like Kanu disgrace our profession.” He is working with the government to open a traditional medicine clinic.
Tarawally believes that ritual murders are perpetrated by people seeking power who use human remains for their purposes.
Searching for a Victim
Accurate data on ritual murders in Sierra Leone is lacking. Researcher Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu explained that in most cases, such incidents are misclassified as accidents or suicides, resulting in 90% of perpetrators remaining at large.
The suspected supplier of body parts named Idara was met by the BBC team in the suburbs of Freetown. He claimed to have up to 250 herbalists under his control and spoke of his accomplices who know how to abduct people.
Idara even played a voice message from one of them, who is ready to go out hunting for victims every evening. After receiving information about a potential victim, the police decided to conduct a raid, but only with the participation of Tarawally, who assists in such operations.
After Idara's arrest, human bones and other evidence were found in his home, allowing the police to charge him with witchcraft. However, they did not plead guilty and were released on bail.
Danger in Poor Communities
Investigations often do not progress beyond certain limits, as happened in the case of a missing teacher whose body was found in a witch doctor’s “shrine.” In August 2023, this case was referred to the High Court but has yet to be heard.
Such tragedies can affect anyone. In May 2023, during an investigation, 28-year-old Fatmata Conte was killed, and her body was discovered on her birthday. People suspected it was a ritual murder; however, the autopsy results remained inconclusive, and no perpetrators were found.
Like Papayo's mother, Fatmata's family feels hopeless as the police do not show due diligence in investigations, creating fear in poor communities like Makeni.
