The Tragic Case That Exposed a Dark Trade
In central Sierra Leone four years ago, an 11-year-old boy named Papayo Kalokoh went to his local market to sell fish. He never returned home. Two weeks later, his mutilated body was discovered at the bottom of a well. The young boy's vital organs, eyes, and one arm had been surgically removed, believed to be for use in a black magic ritual.
His grieving mother, Sallay, told BBC Africa: "They killed my child and now there is just silence." She revealed the constant fear that families live with, adding, "We always tell our children to be careful. If you are selling, don't go to a corner or take gifts from strangers. It happens frequently in this country."
Inside the World of Ritual Killings
Black magic killings are increasing across Sierra Leone, where many hold deep-seated beliefs that human body parts can enhance the power of magical charms. Despite clear evidence from mutilated bodies, police often avoid classifying these murders as 'ritual killings'. The country's severely underresourced law enforcement struggles to track down those responsible for these horrific crimes.
BBC Africa conducted an undercover investigation, meeting with a juju practitioner who openly boasted about his busy shrine. "I was working with some big, big politicians in Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria," he claimed. "We have our team. Sometimes during election time, at night, this place is full of people."
The practitioner showed the reporter a human skull and the area where he hangs other human body parts. When asked about pricing, he quoted approximately £2,500 for a woman's limb.
The Wider Context and Challenges
Tracking missing and murdered people caught in this human trade remains extremely difficult because ritual murders aren't recorded as a specific category. Consequently, the true number of victims may never be fully known.
Sierra Leone, a West African nation of approximately 90 million people, has faced tremendous challenges including a horrific civil war that ended in 2002. The country is rich in minerals, particularly 'blood diamonds' that fuelled the conflict. In 2015, an Ebola outbreak killed nearly 4,000 people, devastating healthcare systems and the local economy.
Unlike neighbouring countries such as Kenya and Nigeria where accused witches face torture or death, Sierra Leone attempts to provide support and care. However, belief in healing doctors who often practice black magic is so culturally entrenched that stopping them proves challenging. Police efforts are further hampered by officers' fears of being targeted with curses if they interfere.
This problem extends beyond Sierra Leone's borders. Last year in South Africa, Tony and Gillian Dinnis, aged 73 and 78, were abducted and murdered from their remote farm. According to police files, their body parts were sold to a witch doctor as 'muti' - traditional medicine believed to bring wealth, good luck, or ward off ill-health.
