By Otto Abut | CRN
The Magwi County ‘C’ Court on Thursday, July 24, 2025, sentenced five men to nine months in prison for assaulting a Catholic priest and 24 pupils of Christ the King Nursery and Primary School.
The sentencing comes after a three-week police investigation into the violent incident that occurred on June 27, 2024, in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State.
The five men were arrested and charged with two criminal counts: Section 231 (Voluntarily Causing Hurt on Provocation) and Section 233 (Voluntarily Causing Hurt by Dangerous Weapon or Means).
According to the verdict delivered by Magwi County Paramount Chief Ojara Aldo Akwilino, four of the men were sentenced to nine months in prison, with an option of bail for five months at SSP 25,000. The fifth suspect, 61-year-old Loboi Henry, received a 10-month sentence with a five-month bail set at SSP 5,000 per month.
In a surprising twist, the court also fined Fr. Justine Ebuchei, the parish priest of Christ the King Catholic Church, SSP 25,000 for allegedly inciting the incident by sending school children to retrieve a goat, which sparked the confrontation.
The church reported spending SSP 4,182,500 on medical bills and X-ray services for the injured pupils and staff. The court ordered that the convicted individuals reimburse this amount after completing their prison sentences.