The life sentence handed to a school director convicted of murdering a five-year-old pupil for alleged ritual sacrifice has been welcomed by residents of Teso, who say the punishment should serve as a warning to school administrators and other people involved in child abuse.
Soroti High Court sentenced Suzan Vivian Ariokot, one of the directors of Jozan Nursery and Primary School, to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of murdering Joan Faith Apio, a Primary One pupil whose body was discovered in a school latrine. The court found that Ariokot, together with her husband, Joseph Okedi, and police officer John Bosco Obotol, participated in the murder of Apio in a suspected ritual sacrifice intended to obtain wealth.
Ariokot becomes the first person to receive a life sentence from Soroti High Court since its establishment in the early 2000s. Justice Boniface Wamala said the murder had caused fear and trauma to the victim’s family and the wider community, describing the killing of a five-year-old child as an abhorrent act. “The conduct displayed by Ariokot and Obotol towards the juveniles is particularly alarming. Child sacrifice should have no place in this country or the world. The convicts deserve a deterrent sentence that sends a message to the public against such heinous acts,” Justice Wamala said.
The judge sentenced Obotol to 45 years in prison and Okedi to 35 years for their roles in aiding the ritual sacrifice. Residents said the verdict should also prompt closer scrutiny of schools and strengthen the protection of children entrusted to educational institutions.
Loyce Akurut, a resident of Kumi District, said the life sentence should serve as a warning to school directors in the region, particularly amid concerns over children who have died in schools under unclear circumstances. “This sentence is a lesson. School directors should know that they are responsible for the lives of children entrusted to them. School directors must prioritise the welfare and safety of learners and not turn children into prey for gaining wealth,” Akurut said.
Isaac Ibirot, a resident of Ngora, called for stronger monitoring of private schools, saying some operate without adequate safety standards. “Most of the schools are operating without proper guidance from the leaders. In Teso, schools are mushrooming daily without the knowledge of those responsible. This should be an eye-opener for every parent in Teso to never allow themselves to be intimidated when an issue arises with their child at school,” Ibirot said.
David Asubu, former ActionAid programmes manager for West Nile, cautioned against celebrating the verdict and then forgetting the wider threat of child exploitation. He urged leaders to pay closer attention to what happens in schools, hospitals and other institutions where communities receive services. “It’s important for leaders to have a better knowledge of what is happening in schools, hospitals, and all institutions where the community receives services for the safety of the people they serve,” Asubu said.
Asubu also urged parents to exercise greater caution when entrusting their children to schools and other institutions. “Our children should not suffer consequences because we, as parents, are vulnerable,” he said. Teddy Acam, the National Resistance Movement mobiliser for Teso, said parents should remain vigilant despite the conviction, claiming that other people involved in similar practices could still be operating in the region.
Acam recounted an incident involving her grandchild, who she said disappeared from school and was later found in Sironko District. She alleged that the child had been taken to an elderly woman who operated a shrine but survived what she described as an attempted ritual sacrifice. Acam urged parents to carefully scrutinise schools before enrolling their children and commended Justice Wamala for handling Apio’s case. “Apio’s case should not have reached this point if the Judiciary had accepted being intimidated. What has been given to Ariokot should now open the eyes of the people to keep a close watch on what happens in institutions of learning,” Acam said-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
