Man wanted over attempted ritual sacrifice of menstruating daughter

Police in Luuka District are searching for Emmanuel Bwana, a resident of Kamwilungu village in Irongo Sub County, who allegedly attempted to sacrifice his teenage daughter.

It is said that Mr Bwana stealthily followed his 13-year-old daughter to nearby borehole where she had gone to fetch water on Thursday morning.

While there, reportedly contacted two unidentified who arrived on a motorcycle, blindfolded the minor and sped off.   

The victim’s mother, Teddy Nabirye, says she learnt of her daughter’s disappearance around 7:30am on Thursday.

“I sent her to go and fetch water, but she was not returning. I asked her friends, who I noticed were returning to their homes with water, if they had seen my daughter, they said they had not seen her,” Nabirye narrates.

She says a search for her daughter started immediately throughout the entire village and two hours later, residents found the girl crying helplessly at a neighboring school. 

The teenager identified as Sumaya Bwana narrates that her father had forced her to undress and performed rituals on her before an unidentified witch doctor inside a shrine in Bumanha Sub County in Luuka district. 

Sumaya says she had refused to heed to her fathers’ demands but four men forcefully lifted her into the shrine where ritual sacrifices were performed against her will. 

“I was at the borehole when my dad appeared with four men. The covered my face with handkerchiefs and tied me to a motorcycle. I asked my father why he had brought me here and he told me to shut up,” Sumaya Bwana recollects.

She however, says the witch doctor declared her unclean and commanded the father to look for a suitable candidate after discovering that she her experiencing monthly periods.

Sumaya was taken to Kiyunga health center IV for medical examination and psycho social support.  

Michael Kasadha, the Busoga North Region Police spokesperson, says they are tracking possible leads on the suspect’s whereabouts. 

“Our teams are dispatched on ground to follow possible leads of arresting Bwana, who will face charges of attempted child sacrifice,” he says.