The decomposing body of an 18-month-old boy, who had been missing for two weeks, was found at the edge of a garden near his home. The child, belonging to the young couple Joshua Okeng, 26, and Jenifer Okeng, was reported missing on December 22 last year from Odyek Camoaor village, Adolo Parish.
Gilbert Okwir, the chairperson LC3 of Awiodyek sub-county, shared that a concerned individual, harvesting maize crops in a rented garden, noticed a swarm of flies near the garden’s edge. Upon investigation, the shocking discovery of the missing child’s decomposing body, lacking internal organs and private parts, was made. The Police were immediately informed.
A frantic search had been initiated after the child’s disappearance, culminating in the grim find. The Police, accompanied by a sniffer dog, arrested three individuals – Michael Okello, 70, Jimmy Ecel, and Fred Otile, all believed to be in their 40s – for further investigation.
Okwir condemned the act as a barbaric act of human sacrifice, calling for an end to such practices and urging a thorough investigation. Vincent Ayo, the child’s grandfather, disclosed that the arrested individuals were close relatives entangled in a land dispute.
Ayo recounted the events leading to the child’s disappearance, explaining that on the morning of December 22, the child had initially been found entering a neighbor’s house. Later, during the mother’s absence to help during a house fire, the child went missing. The family reported the disappearance to Majan Police Station on the same day.
Ayo expressed concern over the Police’s handling of a padlocked room during the investigation, suspecting it as a potential crime scene. The North Kyoga Region Police spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema, stated that the incident had not been officially reported as of yet.
