A 22-year-old man from Laiagam has been sentenced to 50 years of imprisonment with hard labor for two separate killings tied to a cycle of tribal retaliation in the Laiagam District, following a decision commended by the Enga Provincial Police Command.
Enga Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Chief Superintendent Steven Harris, stated that the offender, Sebari Jimmy also known as Sebari Kanjol Lylip, was sentenced by Justice Ellis in the National Court sitting at Wabag on Friday, August 14, 2026, following back-to-back hearings.
In the first matter, following a three-day trial, the offender was found guilty of the willful murder of Jeremiah Peno, who was shot in the back at close range with a Magnum pistol at Lasambus village on September 30, 2024.
Justice Ellis sentenced him to 35 years of imprisonment with hard labour for this crime.
In the second matter, on his own guilty plea, the offender was convicted of the murder of Tommy Kelata at Wairos/Aiyak village on December 29, 2024.
During that attack, the offender’s brother struck the fatal blow to the victim’s head with a bush knife, while the offender inflicted a secondary wound to the victim’s shoulder.
He was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment with hard labor, ordered to run cumulatively with the 35-year willful murder sentence, bringing the total term to 50 years.
Reflecting on the court’s decision, PPC Harris emphasized the precedent set by the heavy sentence for tribal violence.
“These sentences send an unambiguous message to Enga Province and to Papua New Guinea as a whole that the Rule of Law will prevail.”
“If you retaliate, if you take another person’s life to settle a score, a payback, or a tribal grievance, you can expect to spend between 35 and 50 years behind bars.”
“That is the reality this offender now faces, and it is the reality that awaits anyone who chooses violence over the law.”
PPC Harris stressed that law enforcement will not permit retaliatory killings to dictate dispute resolution in the province, noting that every life lost to payback is unacceptable and that every offender will be pursued, charged, and prosecuted.
He commended investigators from the Wabag Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for their thorough work.
The initial breakthrough occurred when the suspect was arrested on an unrelated matter.
Subsequent interviews and diligent evidence- gathering enabled investigators to link him directly to two separate murders committed months apart.
“This outcome reflects sustained, patient investigative work by Wabag CID. They followed the evidence, built two strong briefs, and delivered outcomes that will keep a dangerous offender off our streets for decades.”
“That is the standard of policing this Province deserves, and it is the standard Wabag CID has delivered.”
Police have already received reports of further retaliatory activity connected to these cases.
PPC Harris confirmed that these reports are being taken seriously, fully investigated, and that any perpetrators will face justice, warning that taking the law into one’s own hands only extends the cycle of grief.
“There is a need, particularly in this time and in this place, for the Court to make it clear that those who obtain an illegal weapon, such as a pistol or gun, and use that weapon will need to provide the Court with a good reason why a sentence of life imprisonment should not be imposed.”
“This was a pre-meditated, cold-blooded murder when an unsuspecting man was shot in the back with a powerful pistol,” PPC Harris added.
Members of the public with information regarding threats or acts of retribution linked to these events are urged to contact Wabag Police or the Enga Provincial Police Command immediately.
