Dar es Salaam - Tanzanian police arrested two men accused of killing a 9-year-old boy and selling his skin for 20,000 shillings (about R100) to make sorcerers' get-rich-quick charms, a senior officer said on Friday.
Police said they arrested Martin Kalunga, 25, and his associate Nico Benson, 31, in Lilwa village in southern Tanzania on Tuesday after neighbours overheard Benson accusing Kalunga of plotting with their buyer to skin him as well.
'These cases are few but are very shocking'
"During interrogation, Martin confessed that they were both skinners and that they had skinned a boy in Mbozi six months ago. They then threw his body into the river Jianga," Kova said.
"These cases are few but are very shocking," he said.
Kova said police expected to charge the pair once they had completed investigations into the identity of the victim, whose remains have not been found.
He said he was not aware of any report of a missing child that would match the description given by the suspects, but police were still making enquiries.
Human skins are used by witch doctors to make charms or potions designed to make their users rich, especially in southern Tanzania, renowned as a centre for traditional sorcery.
Post je objavljen 13.05.2005. u 15:17 sati.