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Budaka man, 69, drowns during ‘exorcism’
Police in Budaka District in eastern Uganda are investigating circumstances under which a 69-year-old man drowned in a well during what has been described as an “exorcism.”
Haruna Nyombi, a resident of Bunyekero village, Bunyekero ward, Naboa town council is said to have drowned in the well located about 600 metres from his home where he had invited native doctors to help drive out spirits that have reportedly been tormenting his family members for days.
Ms Immaculate Alaso, the Bukedi North Regional police spokesperson said they arrested five people to help in police inquiries.
“The family and some clan members of the deceased called native doctors to their home in order to help them silence demons which were disturbing the family. The native doctors together with some family members of the deceased have been conducting cultural rituals in their homes since last Wednesday,” Ms Alaso said.
It is alleged that Nyombi and two other family members got possessed and relayed to other members that the evil spirit haunting them was in the a well at a nearby swamp.
“The three (Nyonmbi, Jaberi Lukare and Nuru) then started moving towards the swamp as other family members and the native doctor trailed them. When the allegedly possessed members three reached the well, they jumped into the waters,”she said.
Ms Alaso said Mr Lukare was able to get out of the waters by himself while Nuru was rescued by locals.
“It was too late to save Nyombi,” she said.
Police was contacted and the body retrieved before it was taken to Mbale city mortuary for postmortem.
