With many families left traumatized by killings apparently linked to supposed magic rituals in Sierra Leone, BBC Africa Eye looks into those behind the trade in human body parts.
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing.
The mother of an 11-year-old boy murdered as part of a suspected black magic killing four years ago is devastated that no-one has yet been brought to justice for his death. Today I'm in pain. They killed my child and now there is just silence, Sallay Kalokoh told BBC Africa Eye, explaining how her son Papayo was found with parts of his body removed, including vital organs, eyes, and one arm.
He had gone out to sell fish at the market and never came back. His family searched for him for two weeks - and finally found his mutilated corpse at the bottom of a well. 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, Ms Kalokoh said.
This murder in my hometown of Makeni, in central Sierra Leone, has haunted me as we often hear of reports of killings linked to black magic, also known as juju, that are never followed up or properly investigated by the authorities. In Papayo's case, the police did not even confirm that it was a 'ritual killing' - when a person is murdered so that parts of their body can be used in so-called magic rituals by illicit juju practitioners.
With the authorities severely under-resourced, it is often impossible to gather the evidence needed to track down the culprits. Belief in witchcraft is also so deeply ingrained in Sierra Leone that many police officers often fear pursuing cases further - and most go unsolved.
As the investigation deepened, our BBC Africa Eye team found two people who claimed they were juju practitioners and offered to obtain body parts for ritual purposes. One made claims of powerful clients across West Africa. Undercover operations revealed chilling details of the trade, including a human skull being shown as part of the illicit practice.
In continuing these efforts, police and traditional healers collaborated to raid suspected locations used for ritualistic practices, resulting in arrests, but the success in addressing these crimes remains complicated by cultural beliefs and fear within affected communities. Many families, like Papayo's and that of my cousin, struggle for closure, navigating a justice system overwhelmed by superstition and societal neglect.
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing.
The mother of an 11-year-old boy murdered as part of a suspected black magic killing four years ago is devastated that no-one has yet been brought to justice for his death. Today I'm in pain. They killed my child and now there is just silence, Sallay Kalokoh told BBC Africa Eye, explaining how her son Papayo was found with parts of his body removed, including vital organs, eyes, and one arm.
He had gone out to sell fish at the market and never came back. His family searched for him for two weeks - and finally found his mutilated corpse at the bottom of a well. 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, Ms Kalokoh said.
This murder in my hometown of Makeni, in central Sierra Leone, has haunted me as we often hear of reports of killings linked to black magic, also known as juju, that are never followed up or properly investigated by the authorities. In Papayo's case, the police did not even confirm that it was a 'ritual killing' - when a person is murdered so that parts of their body can be used in so-called magic rituals by illicit juju practitioners.
With the authorities severely under-resourced, it is often impossible to gather the evidence needed to track down the culprits. Belief in witchcraft is also so deeply ingrained in Sierra Leone that many police officers often fear pursuing cases further - and most go unsolved.
As the investigation deepened, our BBC Africa Eye team found two people who claimed they were juju practitioners and offered to obtain body parts for ritual purposes. One made claims of powerful clients across West Africa. Undercover operations revealed chilling details of the trade, including a human skull being shown as part of the illicit practice.
In continuing these efforts, police and traditional healers collaborated to raid suspected locations used for ritualistic practices, resulting in arrests, but the success in addressing these crimes remains complicated by cultural beliefs and fear within affected communities. Many families, like Papayo's and that of my cousin, struggle for closure, navigating a justice system overwhelmed by superstition and societal neglect.
