Jinja Pastor, Wife Slaughter 4-Year-Old Child For Rituals

A self-styled preacher and his wife have been detained in Kiira, Uganda, on allegations of kidnapping and murder in connection with the ritualistic sacrifice of a 4-year-old child victim.

Prophet Joseph Sserubiri and his wife, Felista Namaganda, have been identified as the suspects. Nakisuyi Trinity Nabirye Zabella, a 4-year-old victim who was kidnapped on September 30, 2021, was the daughter of their landlord, John Mulodi of Kakira market zone, Kakiira Town Council, Jinja district.

“He had rented a garage to the self-styled prophet, and they had converted it into a church called Deliverance and Healing Ministries, Kakira. We have also detained Pastor Buyinza Israel Isma, the senior pastor of Deliverance and Healing Ministry in Ganda, Nansana, who allegedly led him into the act,” police add.

The suspected Prophet Sserubiri, who had gone missing after the kidnapping event, was tracked down and apprehended, according to the Force.

“He and his wife acknowledged to murdering Nakisuyi Trinity, a 4-year-old girl, in the garage turned church for spiritual prowess. They cut the victim’s throat and sliced off her head, which they then buried in Wanyange’s lake. The decapitated body was buried in the Kinyomo sugarcane farm in Kakira Town Council,” Police say.

Furthermore, police claim to have recovered both the head and the headless corpse of the 4-year-old victim, and have tested DNA samples to see if they match.

Other evidence included a blood-stained trouser belonging to the self-styled Prophet, as well as blood samples retrieved from the garage turned church.

The Inter-Religious Council and all other Faith-based Associations have now been urged by the police to develop stricter mechanisms for profiling and auditing the operations of all places of worship in order to protect people from rogue self-styled Prophets seeking miracles and divine healing powers.

“We will continue to follow the case’s progress in the courts of law in order to bring justice to the 4-year-old victim.” Despite the progress made in the country’s fight against child sacrifice, this unfortunate instance demonstrates that threats still persist. If children are not constantly monitored, they remain vulnerable,” warns the police.