Torit residents react after boy died in police custody|Courtesy

The Eastern Equatoria State government has denied any responsibility after a teenage boy died under unclear circumstances in police custody on Monday, sparking public unrest in Torit.

Community members said the boy, whose name has not been made public, was reportedly taken from his family home around 4 a.m. on Monday.

He was allegedly taken to the state governor’s residence, where he was tortured to death before being handed over to police.

However, the State Minister of Information and Communication, Elias Alhaji, said the boy was arrested by police working under the office of the Torit Mayor as part of a crackdown on youth gangs locally known as “niggas.”

He said there is no reliable information suggesting the boy was beaten while in custody and urged the public to remain calm as investigations continue.

“There is nothing of that kind. What we are getting is, there was, there were a group of niggas apprehended by the police attached to the mayor. The organized force attached to the mayor were checking up on the niggas,” Alhaji explained.

“So, when they apprehended some of them, they turned them over to the police, and unfortunately, one of them died. And the cause of their death is yet to be established.

According to him, the body of the deceased is being kept at the state mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death.

Alhaji said calm has returned to Torit after police fired warning shots to disperse angry protesters who stormed the police station and mortuary.

“ …the body was taken  to stay in the mortuary, to establish exactly what the cause could be,” he said, adding that ” some of the groups that went to the hospital wanted to attack the mortuary.”

He also blamed rising youth gang activity for disturbing public order in recent weeks.