Ghana: fetish priest, 2 others nabbed over murder in Akatsi South, Volta Region

The murder case presented below is not the first ritual murder case in Ghana’s Volta Region reported on this site. Also, it is not the first ritual murder case in the Volta Region involving a fetish priest, see my 2019 and 2020 posts.
(FVDK)

Fetish priest, 2 others nabbed over murder in Akatsi South

Published: February 13, 2024
By: Ghanaian Times

The Akatsi Police in the Akatsi South Municipal­ity of the Volta Region, has arrested three suspects for allegedly killing a 31-year-old man at Wlitey-Agamakope.

The deceased, Christopher Alavi, who lived at Ziope, until the incident, went missing after he left home to attend a family meeting at Lume Ahugakope on September 7, 2023.

Mr Agbenyega Klaye, the regent of Wlitey-Gamakope, a suburb of Akatsi, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Simon Dorve, 41, a fetish priest and resident of the area, is the prime suspect.

He expressed surprise about the alleged act, in which the suspect himself had confessed murdering the deceased, and his head and both legs removed for rituals.

A police source has confirmed the arrest of Mr Dorve and other two accomplices to the GNA.

The source revealed that a complaint was made to the Akatsi police about the missing of the deceased, leading to the arrest of Godfred, a student, and Ahomey Gbeti, also a fetish priest, for hav­ing in their possession, belongings of the deceased.

The police said after interroga­tion, Ahomey Gbeti confessed to having committed the crime with the main suspect, with whom the deceased’s motorbike and body was found and some body parts buried.

Mr Dorve was arrested last Saturday dawn, at Wlitey-Gama­kope to assist in investigations.

It was disclosed to the GNA that the police was expected to exhume the parts of body.

The suspects, who were arraigned at the Akatsi Magistrate Court on Monday, have been re­manded in police custody and will reappear on March 13.

Source: Fetish priest, 2 others nabbed over murder in Akatsi South

More on the same case:

Akatsi South: Fetish priest, two others arrested over murder at Wlitey-Agamakope

Source: Akatsi South: Fetish priest, two others arrested over murder at Wlitey-Agamakope

And:

Fetish priest, two others arrested over murder at Akatsi South 

Published: February 13, 2024
By: GNA – Myjoyonline

The Akatsi Police in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region, has arrested three suspects for allegedly killing a 31-year-old man at Wlitey-Agamakope  

The deceased, Christopher Alavi, who lived at Ziope, until the revelation, went missing after he left home to attend a family meeting at Lume Ahugakope on September 7, 2023.  

Mr Agbenyega Klaye, the regent of Wlitey-Gamakope, a suburb of Akatsi, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Simon Dorve, the prime suspect, aged 41, is a fetish priest and resident in the area.  

He expressed surprise about the alleged act, in which the suspect himself had since confessed to having murdered the deceased, with his head and both legs removed for some ritual purposes.  

A Police source has confirmed the arrest of Mr Dorve and his other two accomplices to the GNA.  

The source revealed that a complaint was made to the Akatsi Police about the missing of the deceased.  

The source revealed that upon further investigations, two suspects, namely Godfred, a student, and Ahomey Gbeti, also a fetish priest, were arrested for having in their possession, some belongings of the deceased.  

“After interrogation, Ahomey Gbeti confessed to having committed the crime with the main suspect, whose custody the deceased’s motorbike and body was found, with some body parts buried,” the source said.  

Mr Dorve was subsequently arrested on Saturday dawn, February 10, at Wlitey-Gamakope to assist in investigations.  

It was disclosed to the GNA that the Police would proceed to the community on Monday, February 12, where the crime was committed to exhume the remaining body for further action.  

The suspects, who were arraigned at the Akatsi Magistrate Court on Monday, have been remanded into Police custody and will reappear on March 13.  

The crime, brings to two, similar incidents within a space of a week in the Municipality.

Earlier another fetish priest at Dzuefe was alleged to have killed his son.

Source: Fetish priest, two others arrested over murder at Akatsi South

Kasoa, Ghana: two teenagers arrested over alleged ritual murder of 10-year-old

Kasoa, formerly known as Odupongkpehe, is a coastal town in the Awutu Senya East Municipal District of the Central Region in Ghana.  Reportedly, Odupongkpehe/Kasoa is one of the fastest growing communities in West Africa. In 1970, Odupongkpehe/Kasoa was a rural community. Since then, its population has multiplied nearly hundred times.

The clash between tradition and modernization may – partly – explain what recently happened in this fast growing urban community. Two teenagers were apprehended and accused of murdering a ten-year old child for ritualistic purposes after being requested by a fetish priest in the Volta Region who told the two suspects to bring human parts for rituals. It is not known what has happened with the fetish priest.

The law must take its course. However, society must reflect upon this heinous crime committed by two adolescents who, very likely, did not grow up in the tradition of a rural or village community. How could this happen? What is the role and responsibility of the parents? Have the two suspects been to school, what have the teachers taught them? 

Maybe too many questions for the moment, but urgent reflection and action is required to avoid a repetition of this gruesome ritualistic act (webmaster FVDK).

Kasoa: Two teenagers arrested over alleged ritual murder of 10-year-old

Published: April 4, 2021
By: Modern Ghana

Two persons, an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old are in the custody of the Kasoa Divisional Police Command for allegedly killing a 10-year-old boy for money rituals at Lamptey Mills, a suburb of Kasoa. 

According to sources the suspects lured the deceased, only known as Ishmael by his peers, into an uncompleted building and hit him with an object, killing him instantly. 

There are claims that a fetish priest in the Volta Region told the two suspects to bring human parts for rituals, hence the action of the pair. 

The mother of the boy, Hajia Maame told Citi News that she is shocked by the news of her son’s demise. 

The suspects are currently assisting in investigations. 

Meanwhile, the Kasoa Divisional Police Command has so far not commented officially on the incident or the arrests.

Source: Kasoa: Two teenagers arrested over alleged ritual murder of 10-year-old

Kasoa, formerly known as Odupongkpehe, a coastal town in the Awutu Senya East Municipal District of the Central Region. 

Ghana, Volta Region: two fetish priests engage in ritual killing practices

Two fetish priests in the Eastern Region (Volta Region) have been apprehended and are suspected to be ritual killers. The article below is a follow-up on my posting of May 4.

Allegedly, a link exists with Togo, where the two men are hailing from. On this site I have presented several cases of ritual murders committed in Ghana. Ritual murder cases are seldom reported from Togo. This does not mean that in this country ritual practices and murders are non-existent. I suspect that it is more a question of under-reporting. There is no reason to believe that ritual murders do not occur in francophone African countries.

Unfortunately, there exists a bias in my reports on ritual murder cases across the African continent. The case presented below is another reason to be more vigilant and more balanced in my reporting on this site (webmaster FVDK).

How Fetish Priests Killed Ex-Soldier And Buried Him Including Others

The scene where the bodies were exhumed

Published: May 4, 2020
By: Modern Ghana 

Details are emerging about how a special police team raided a shrine in the Eastern Region and exhumed headless human remains from the place.

At least three bodies were found buried in shallow graves when the special team raided the shrine where body parts were also found scattered all over the place. 

Two fetish priests, namely Christian Lawoe Gameli aka Power-One, 40, and Famous Adukonu aka Scorpion, 36, who were operating a shrine called ‘Power 1 Herbal & Spiritual Centre’ located at Adu Kwadwo and Kofi Nyarko villages near Maame Dede Junction on the Nsawam to Adeiso road in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region, were arrested and brought to Accra during the raid. 

The taxi driver, who was arrested alongside both fetish priests last Thursday, had been named as Allotey, and they were being detained by the police for ritual murder, fraud and the production of fake currencies. 

The arrest is coming at a time when there are swelling allegations of collaboration between fetish priests, some spiritualists and some fake pastors in the country. 

Old Soldier

It is turning out that at least one of the victims is believed to be a retired soldier, and his disappearance triggered intense police investigation that led to the raid. 

The suspects allegedly murdered the 64-year-old ex-soldier, Edward Quartey Papafio, from Accra, who reportedly went to the shrine two weeks ago to seek spiritual help from the priests. 

The soldier’s phone led investigators to the shrine, according to police sources. 

He was reported to have been duped by the suspects who told him to go and come back in some days. 

The old soldier later informed his wife and son, who was also a serving soldier, about the incident before visiting the shrine on the second attempt. 

Shooting Incident

DAILY GUIDE gathered that when he went back to the shrine to confront them, the suspects asked him to sit somewhere in the shrine and in the process they shot him, killing him instantly. 

They then buried him at the back of the shrine in the dress that he was wearing. 

The deceased’s wife who was not hearing from him started calling his mobile phone several times, but the calls didn’t go through. 

Police Intervention

The deceased soldier’s son went to the community in search of his late father before reporting the matter to the police CID, who also deployed some investigators to the community to gather more facts. 

Their Roots

The fetish priests, as gathered, hail from Togo and came to stay at Suhum, but moved to settle in the current village about five years ago. 

They have reportedly built two shrines and a hotel at separate locations during their short stay in the area and are said to be feared by the people. 

Modus Operandi

They usually run advertisement and talk shows on Starr TV, a private television station based in Koforidua, to lure their clients who want to turn millionaires overnight. 

They are said to have used their so-called powers to ‘dupe’ many clients and normally charge not less than GH¢1,000 as ‘participating’ fees. 

Serial Killing

Some residents have made wild claims that a lot of people who visited the shrine vanished afterwards whenever the clients tried to fight back after being felt duped by the fetish priests. 

The suspects, after the heinous crimes, allegedly bury the victims in their dresses in a manhole at the back of the shrine, and others in the rituals room after removing their parts. 

They further claimed that some kids have been reported missing in the community ever since the duo settled in the area. 

Some even alleged that the suspects usually ‘camped’ their clients who threaten to expose them when they failed to perform what they promise to do for them. 

Some of the victims reportedly managed to escape and filed complaints at the police station at Adeiso, but the suspects were never arrested and questioned. 

Marching Suspects

The police upon arresting the suspects marched them to the spots where they suspected the remains had been buried, and the suspects allegedly pointed to those spots for the bodies to be exhumed. 

At around 11:00am on Thursday, the police used an excavator to dig the graveyard and also pulled down the walls of the shrine before exhuming fresh human skulls and plenty of bones. 

The exhumation exercise ended around 4pm.

There are wild rumours in the village that a certain Kwashie Zormelo (age unknown) from Kasoa may have also been murdered by the suspects. 

DAILY GUIDE understands the CID will be addressing the media on the matter at 2pm today.

Source:  How Fetish Priests Killed Ex-Soldier And Buried Him Including Others

Related article:

How two fetish priests murdered and buried a biochemist, others at their shrine

Published: May 4, 2020
By: MyJoyOnLine

Two traditional priests are in the custody of the police for allegedly killing a biochemist consultant and siphoning what is suspected to be his blood into a gallon.

The deceased Edward Quartey-Papafio, 64, had left his house on January 15, 2020, at about 3:30 am after receiving a phone call. 

According to the Director-General of the CID, COP Isaac Yeboah, after police investigations, it was discovered that the deceased was last spotted in Adeisu, near Nsawam in the Eastern region.

The police intensified investigation, and on April 21, 2020, they arrested suspects Christian Gameli Lawerh alias Power, 36, and Famous Adorkunu alias Scorpion, 37.

Both fetish priests hail from the Volta region but reside at Maame Dede near Adeisu.

After a search was conducted at their residences, police retrieved two pump action guns, a single barrel gun, together with eleven packets of cartridges from Lawerh’s room.

On April 29, both suspects admitted having interacted with the missing person for some time, but he was later shot and killed on January 15, 2020, at their shrine.

The suspects reiterated that the deceased was buried at a particular spot within the shrine and led police to the scene. The area was secured for an exhumation order to be granted by the court.

On April 30, the police including pathologists and other forensic experts went to Maame Dede and executed the exhumation.

The pathologists retrieved the decomposed body from a grave.

A second decomposed body whose name the suspect Gameli gave as Kwesi Zomelo also from Kasoa was retrieved from a separate grave.

The team later exhumed human parts, hair attachments, bead (belonging to a woman, police suspect), and bones from a third grave within the same perimeter.

A decomposed human flesh with bones wrapped in a cloth buried among the bodies was also retrieved from another grave. The team in addition retrieved human skulls together with bones, suspected to be human, hidden under two ‘idols’ in the house.

Investigations have so far established that on December 2019, the two conspired to murder Edward Quartey-Papafio, according to police.

They are alleged to have lured the deceased to their shrine and succeeded in collecting cash amounting to 10,000 Ghana cedis from him with a promise to fortify the deceased spiritually to enable his company to flourish.

On January 15, they invited Quartey-Papafio to the shrine for what they claimed to be the final purification rites but in the process they shot, killed and buried his body.

Police say after committing the crime, Lawerh took possession of the deceased’s Itel and Nokia mobile phones and handed them to his third wife, together with a bunch of keys.

Police say the second suspect Adorkunu, has confessed that he shot and killed Mr. Quartey-Papafio.

He also confessed to killing Zomelo and one of his masons after the deceased demanded money owed him.

According to COP Isaac Ken Yeboah, the remains exhumed from the shrine have been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary awaiting DNA testing and identification.

The suspects have been remanded and are awaiting trial.

Source: How two fetish priests murdered and buried a biochemist, others at their shrine

Ho, Ghana: alleged killer of an 8-year-old girl arrested

Published: September 6, 2019
By: Ghana JoyNews Volta Region, regional correspondent Ivy Setordjie

A man in his late 30s has been arrested at Adaklu in the Volta region for the alleged murder of an 8-year-old girl, Shine Agyima in the Ho Central Municipality of the Volta region. 

According to the residents in Nyive where the girl was murdered, the suspect confessed to the killing.

He reportedly did this for ritual purposes. The JoyNews reporter explained, the suspect said he was instructed by a fetish priest to drink the blood of a girl in a ritual meant to bring him money.

The Mankrando of Nyive Togbe Apasu strongly believes the state of the victim’s body points to ritual murder. 

The suspect, according to the residents, stays not too far from family of the victim in Nyive. The family and residents of Nyive said they are living in fear as a result of the incident. They fear there are others in the community who may be targetting children for ritual murder.

The murder suspect

The mother of the girl Serwa Abalu said she is traumatized by the loss of her innocent daughter.

“I am a poor woman with no husband to help me and now they have killed my only daughter “ Serwa Abalu lamented.

The Togbe has pleaded with the police to make ensure that all persons connected to the crime are arrested and put before court.

The  Volta Regional Police PRO, Prince Dogbatseyi in an interview with JoyNews stated the investigation is ongoing to make sure that justice is given to the girl.

Source: Ho: alleged killer of an 8-year-old girl arrested

Simon Kope, Volta Region – Ghana: ritual murder case takes new twist

Published: June 2, 2019
By: Freeman KORYEKPOR AWLESU (Modern Ghana newspaper)

The two biological parents,Madam Etornam Magic and Mr Mawuli Ladzedo of a four-year-old pupil, Mawufeasi Ladzedo who was murdered by unknown assailants at Simon Kope, a fishing and farming community in the over bank at the Tongor-Dzemeni in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region have made a shocking revelation.

According to the two, they were surprised not to be allowed to see the dead body of their son before the elders including the chief and Queen of the area, Togbe Havor and Mama Adokuwaa have ordered for the burial of their son on Tuesday May 28,2019 without making any official report to the Donkorkrom District Police Command. 

Madam Etornam Magic and Mr Mawuli Ladzedo disclosed that they were only informed by the elders, Togbe Havor and Mama Adokuwaa that the Asafo groups discovered the dead body of Mawufeasi Ladzedo which they said was buried under the demaged fishing canoe along the black Volta lake on Tuesday May 28, 2019. 

They stated that they were told that Mawufeasi Ladzedo’s forehead was smatched and parts of his body bruised and bloodied including his tongue was cut off from his mouth. 

“And also, we were told that the skin of his lower-left leg was reportedly flayed, or peeled off, and his nostrils and an armpit dripping with blood when the body was discovered by a couple of his neighbors and Asafo groups of both Simon and Havor communities,” Madam Etornam Magic and Mr Mawuli Ladzedo further detailed. 

According to them, they were also warned by the chief and elders including the queen mother not to make further comment on the murder of their son to either media or individuals including the police for which “we obliged until recently the matter has gone viral on the media platforms.” 

Madam Etornam Magic and Mawuli Ladzedo who are the natives from the Battor Traditional Area in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region made above sterling revelations while the both speaking on Battor-Aveyime based local radio station, Klenam FMon Friday May 31,2019 being monitored by Today. 

Their revelations followed when Today broke out the news in its Friday May 31,2019 edition of the murder of Mawufeasi Ladzedo which happened on Tuesday May 28, 2019. 

Today reported that the boy got missing on Sunday May 26,2019 when he was dressed up by his mother, Madam Etornam Magic and asked to follow his colleagues to go the church service at the Simon Village branch of Divine Healing Church. But the boy did not returned home after the closed of the church,Today report has confirmed . 

Today report indicated that the dead body of Mawufeasi Ledzedo who got missing on Sunday May 26, 2019 was found buried under the demaged fishing canoe along the black Volta lake on Tuesday May 28, 2019, while his body parts including his tongue were missing. 

When contacted Togbe Havor and Queen-mother of the area to respond to the new development emerging about the murder of the boy the two admitted to have ordered for the burial of the deceased, confirming that the two parents of the deceased, Mr Mawuli Ladzedo and Etornam Magic were not presence. 

But they stated that the biological father of the father of the late Mawufeasi Ladzedo and some relatives were there before they burried the deceased. 

Meanwhile, an earlier report had, curiously, suggested the incident to have been foul play, although we had also learned that the corpse of the deceased showed signs symptomatic of a ritual murder of some sort; for the scrotum of the dead man was reported to be bruised and bloodied. 

Further information gathered by Today indicates that the mystery surrounding the murder of the boy is that the wee farmers in area lured the boy to kill and allegedly drained blood from his body to perform rituals, ostensibly to pacify their wee farms to help them to grow more wee products. 

Today gathered that Mawufeasi Ladzedo was not the only person who was murdered gruesomely in the area during this year 

Th situation of killing innocent individuals particularly the children for ritual purposes Today discovered is becoming alarming especially during every May and June, which are wee growing seasons in the area.

Source: Volta Simon Kope: Ritual Murder Case Takes New Twist

The South Dayi District of the Volta Region (eastern Ghana)