Borno IDP Camp Tragedy: Two Arrested for Allegedly Beating 72-Year-Old Man to Death over Witchcraft Claim

The Borno State Police Command has arrested two internally displaced persons (IDPs) accused of beating a 72-year-old man to death at an IDP camp in Ngala Local Government Area.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama revealed on Monday that the suspects — 25-year-old Modu Mohammed and 32-year-old Annami Modu — attacked the victim, Abba Mustapha, after accusing him of witchcraft.

“The suspects claimed the man bewitched the wife of one of them, causing her ill health. They stormed his house at the camp with sticks and beat him severely,” Makama said in a post on X.

Police officers at the camp reportedly intervened and rushed Mustapha to Ngala General Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead.

Authorities recovered four sticks believed to have been used in the assault as evidence. The suspects were taken into custody immediately.

The victim’s body has since been handed over to his family for burial in line with Islamic rites. Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Maiduguri has opened a full investigation into the case.

The incident has reignited concerns about the prevalence of witchcraft accusations in rural and displaced communities, where superstition often escalates into violence.