Crime scene barricade tape. (Courtesy)

A rural trader was reportedly abducted on Wednesday and murdered by unidentified armed bandits in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State, the commissioner said.

Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa said the victim was dragged away from the Umbasi rural market before he was butchered, and his body cut into pieces.

Commissioner Kanyikwa said the remains of the 40-year-old trader who is yet to be identified, were found in the bush on Saturday evening.

The motives of the alleged attacks are not known.

According to the official, there have been increasing cases of abductions and murders by armed groups in the area.

“The criminals who are in the bushes carrying arms now are abducting civilians, they are targeting civilians,” the official told Eye Radio.

“We have one trader who was abducted on Wednesday, and this morning, I am informed this trader was slaughtered by these criminals. The family informed us.”

“He was just a petty trader in Umbasi, one of the rural markets which is a productive area. He [the deceased] was abducted in Yei and then he was released. But again this time they abducted him on Wednesday, and they killed him.”

Kanyikwa further said local authorities have reported five abduction cases, in what looks like a forceful recruitment into the alleged armed groups, since July.

He also claimed that a young man who was abducted in June 2023, finally escaped from captivity, this month.

“We have registered similar abduction cases some of them have escaped. There was a boy who escaped from there also last week he was abducted in June and forced to train.”

“But he did not like it, so he decided to escape. We do not have specific figures so far, but the number of reported cases of abduction is about 5 since July.”

When asked how the local government is dealing with the situation, Kanyikwa said the army is monitoring the situation has been pursuing the abductors.

“When they came to abduct this trader, they robbed three motorcycles, so the SSPDF are pursuing these kinds of criminals to make sure they are located.”

In recent weeks, Yei River County also registered a number of attacks on motorcycle raiders by unidentified armed men – prompting the Yei Boda Boda Association to stage a demonstration for justice.