After 1-year-old Yohana Bahati was abducted from his mother’s house over the weekend, Tanzanian officials are saying that they have now found the remains of his body, reports the BBC.
RELATED: TANZANIAN OFFICIALS BAN WITCHDOCTORS IN ORDER TO STOP MURDER OF ALBINOS
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Bahati, who was albino, was reportedly snatched from his mother’s residence on Sunday.
This week, officials found Bahati’s mutilated body just a few miles from his home in the north.
All of his limbs were hacked off with a machete.
So far, two have been arrested for the killing, but the arrests seem to have no effect on local witchdoctors’ desire to have the body parts of albinos.
According to the Red Cross, witchdoctors will pay $75,000 “for a complete set of albino body parts.”
Tragically, Face2Face Africa recently reported on the disappearance of Pendo Emmanuelle Nundi (pictured) who was kidnapped at the end of December also in Tanzania.
Most recently, a 4-year-old Pendo Emmanuelle Nundi was kidnapped two weeks ago by “attackers armed with machetes.” In response, authorities immediately arrested the girl’s father and four other suspects.
Since Face2Face Africa reported on her disappearance, authorities have arrested 15 suspects.
Still, almost two months later, the girl is yet to be found.
Nundi’s alleged murder prompted Tanzanian authorities to institute a ban on all witchdoctors in January.
With 70 albinos being killed in Tanzania in the past three years — and only 10 murderers being brought to justice — officials have decided to put a ban on all witchdoctors in the East African country as a way to stop the targeting of albinos.
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On the ban, TAS Chairman Ernest Njamakimaya said, “If we and the government come together and show strength as one and speak as one, we can deal with the problem head-on.”
And with this year being an election year in the East African nation, authorities worry that candidates will be looking to witchdoctors to gain an edge over their competition, making 2015 a particularly dangerous year for albinos.
Albinoism is widespread throughout Tanzania, with one in 1,400 being affected; meanwhile, albinoism only affects one in 20,000 in the West.
SEE ALSO: Tanzania’s Witch Problem: 7 Burned Alive This Week, 500 Killed Annually
