Mbojo

The Mbojo is a shapeshifter from the beliefs of the Turu people from Tanzania. They are thought to be witch doctors that could become lions, and are blamed for various unexplained deaths. Sometimes however these deaths are thought be done by normal lions controlled by a witch-doctor. Often it would be believed that Mbojo would be hired basically as assassins to kill one’s enemies. Some however believe it is simply people who learned to kill in a way that imitates a mauling from a lion, or were convinced they were lions through drugs and other such means. Sometimes the Mbojo is used as a bogeyman figure of sorts. Some real life trials had accusations of Mbojo assassins.

Citations:

Pratten, David. The Man-leopard Murders: History and Society in Colonial Nigeria. United Kingdom, Edinburgh University Press, 2007.