(MAGWI) – A local court in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, has sentenced five men to prison following a violent assault on a Catholic priest and 24 pupils at Christ the King Nursery and Primary School. The ruling came on Thursday, 24 July 2025, after three weeks of police investigation and court hearings.
The incident took place on 27 June 2024, when the men reportedly attacked the priest and pupils during a confrontation in Magwi County. The suspects were charged under Section 231 for voluntarily causing harm on provocation, and Section 233 for causing harm by dangerous means.
Magwi County Paramount Chief Ojara Aldo Akwilino presided over the case and issued the verdict. Four of the five accused were sentenced to nine months in prison each, with the option to pay bail for early release after five months. Bail was set at 25,000 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP), equivalent to approximately 5.43 US Dollars at current official exchange rates.
The fifth defendant, a 61 year old man named Loboi Henry, was handed a 10 month sentence. He was also given a bail option of 5,000 SSP per month (around 1.09 USD per month) for five months.
In a surprising development during the trial, the court also imposed a fine on Fr. Justine Ebuchei, the parish priest of Christ the King Catholic Church. He was fined 25,000 SSP (5.43 USD) for allegedly provoking the incident by instructing school children to retrieve a goat, which led to the altercation.
The Catholic Church said it spent a total of 4,182,500 SSP (around 909 USD) on medical treatment, including X-rays, for injured pupils and staff members. The court ordered the convicted men to pay this amount in compensation after completing their prison terms.
The case has drawn public attention in Eastern Equatoria due to the involvement of a religious leader, school children and the serious nature of the assault. Local leaders have called for calm and urged communities to seek lawful resolution of disputes.
Church and school authorities have yet to comment in detail on the court’s ruling.
