Tanzania: Police hunt witch doctor whose ‘thief-finding magic’ led to mob killing of student
Police in Arusha, Tanzania are searching for a witch doctor accused of giving a misleading divination that led to the death of a Form Four student.
The student, 17-year-old Yohana Konki, was allegedly beaten to death by classmates who believed he had stolen a tablet.
Yohana, from Qash Secondary School in the Manyara Region’s Babati District, died on the morning of 16th August 2025. He was reportedly attacked by fellow students who accused him of theft.
Speaking to The Citizen on Monday, 1 September 2025, Manyara Regional Police Commander, Ahmed Makarani, confirmed that the witch doctor fled with his family after the incident and remains at large.
Commander Makarani stated that 11 students are currently in custody for their suspected involvement in the killing.
“The Manyara Regional Police are still hunting for the witch-doctor alleged to be the root cause of this killing following his misleading prophecy, as he escaped after the incident,” said Commander Makarani.
He said that the case file against the 11 students has been sent to the National Prosecution Service (NPS), which will decide whether to press charges.
“The file concerning the 11 students is still with the NPS, and we await their decision,” he said.
Mr Makarani said that the tragedy unfolded after a student who had lost their tablet consulted the witch doctor with a friend. The witch doctor’s ‘thief-finding magic’ then allegedly identified Yohana as the thief.
“When they returned, they confronted the student, accused him of theft, and demanded he return the device. When he denied stealing it, they beat him, leading to his death,” Commander Makarani said.
Yohana was buried on 20 August 2025 in Tsamas village, Babati District.
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