Map of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. (Courtesy).

Police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State released forty-four people on Thursday, and retained five others in custody for further questioning in the raping and killing of an eleven-old-girl in Aweil town.

The police spokesperson Captain Guot Guot Akol confirmed that the fourty-four people of mixed nationalities – including Rwandese, Ethiopians and others were released according to directives from the public prosecutor.

“After the deep investigations, forty-four people were released and 3 additional suspects were brought making the total to be 49 instead 46. Out of 49, 44 people were released because nothing was found during the investigation to have been in connection,” said the police official.

On Tuesday, Northern Bahr El Ghazal State woke up to the shocking discovery of the body of minor Akon Thiec Dut, 52 footsteps away from the field compound of ARC Company in Udhum residential area.

The 11-year-old had run away from home on Sunday after she had a misunderstanding with her brother, the police cited her mother as saying.

Two days later, the body of Akon was found dumped close to premises of the construction company in the Udhum residential area, leading to mass arrest.

A postmortem done on the deceased at the Aweil Civil Hospital found the girl was raped before being killed.

Captain Guot said the five people who remained in Custody were two police officers, a female tea-maker and two Ethiopian nationals.

“These are people that remain with us under custody, and investigation still going on with them, but the total of forty-four people from different nationalities, are released as per yesterday according to directives from the public prosecutor.”