Albinism is an inherited condition leading to a very light skin, hair and eyes. The question: ‘What is albinism?’ is treated in detail elsewhere on the present site (click here to access the information).
There’s a persistent superstition that organs and other body parts of a person with albinism contain magical or supernatural powers. Hence persons with albinism are often targeted by criminals who attack and/or murder them. In their social environment people with albinism are often discriminated, insulted or otherwise maltreated.
On multiple occasions I have drawn attention here on the plight of persons with albinism in countries in west, central, eastern and southern Africa including Mali, Nigeria, Burundi, the DRC, Tanzania, Mozambique, Eswatini (former Swaziland), Zambia, Malawi, the Republic of South Africa), Namibia and Madagascar. You may access the relevant posts and articles by using the dropdown menu under ‘African countries’ and/or the search button.
The article presented below focuses on the situation of persons with albinisme in Angola and elaborates further on the plight of people living with albinism in various SSA countries. (FVDK).
The plight of persons with albinism in Sub-Saharan Africa
Edna Cedrick holds her surviving albino son after his twin brother who had albinism was snatched from her arms in a violent struggle in 2016. Cedrick says she is haunted daily by images of the decapitated head of her 9 year old son. At least 18 Albino people have been killed in Malawi in a “steep upsurge in killings” since November 2014, and five others have been abducted and remain missing, according to Amnesty International. Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / AP Photo
Published: April 1, 2024 By: Atlas News
What You Need to Know:
81 families with Albinism in Angola’s Bié Province have received assistance totalling nearly $12,000 dollars (10 million kwanzas) in the first phase of a social protection program aimed at providing support to Angola’s most vulnerable.
This current program operates under the ‘Kwenda Program’ – a government program focused on creating policies to support the country’s poorest and most vulnerable residents.
The program has received 320 million USD from the World Bank as well as 100 million USD from Angola’s National Treasury.
Alongside the financial support, sunscreen and other sun protection materials have been distributed to albinos across the country. Lack of sun protection poses a major health risk for albinos in Africa, with up to 90% dying before the age of 40.
There are an estimated 6,818 people living with albinism in Angola who often face social exclusion, which contributes to their continued impoverishment as a large part of the stigma around albinism has to do with the fact that witchcraft is heavily prevalent in Southern Africa.
The Details:
Across Southern Africa, particularly Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and Burundi, people with albinism are thought to hold supernatural powers. As a result, the killing of albinos in order to use their body parts in various rituals is somewhat common.
The belief in many rural communities across Southern Africa is that the use of the body part of an albino in a witchcraft ritual may bring wealth, power or protection to the individual the ritual is intended for.
Albinism refers to the inability of the body’s skin cells to produce melanin, melanin is responsible for the colouration of eyes, hair and skin. Thus, those with albinism appear extremely pale.
In Tanzania, albinos are referred to as ‘zeru zeru’ which translates to ‘ghosts.’
Additionally, there is a large trade in the body parts of albinos, with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights claiming an entire albino corpse can be sold for upwards of $75,000, while albino arms or legs can be sold for up to $2,000.
So, What Now?:
Angola’s social program signals a positive step towards the protection of albinos in the country. However, Angola is still an extremely impoverished country with 32% of the population living under the national poverty line, In rural areas that number jumps to 54%.
Thus, although this program will bring relief for many affected albino families, a wider effort to combat impoverishment and raise living standards is needed across the country.
The following is not the first reported ritual murder case in Ghana’s eastern Volta Region. On previous occasions I posted other murder cases. Interestingly, also in these cases a fetish priest played a key role. See my posts dated February 13 of this year, May 15, 2020 and August 12, 2019.
The Kpetoe District Police is to be commended for their swift action leading to the arrest of seven suspects. Five of the seven suspects have admitted their roles in the killing of the boy. Read the details below.
Warning: The articles’ graphic contents my upset some readers (FVDK).
Seven arrested for abducting and killing 12-year boy at Nornyikpo, Volta Region
The Kpetoe District Police have arrested seven persons in connection with the recent abduction and subsequent killing of a 12-year-old boy, Cornelius Negble at Nornyikpo, a farming community in Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region.
The suspects are; Hunor Kofi Koko alias Ando Kofi, 30, Anani Koko, 23, Senanu Ashitor Atsikpo, 28, Kwamevi Kagbetor 37, Louis Etse, 25, Kudzo Akpatsu, 49 and Fianyo Sandema, 39.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Edward Oduro Kwateng, Volta Regional Commander, in a briefing to the media, said on May 22, 2021 at about 0700 hours, one Mary Amewornu reported to the Police at Kpetoe that her grandson had gone missing.
He said about 1830 hours same day, the Assembly member for Atsrulume Electoral Area with help of five others arrested suspect Senanu Ashitor Atsikpo upon suspicion that he was the architect of the disappearance of the deceased and handed him over to the Police.
The Commander said the Police re-arrested the suspect and detained him to assist in investigations.
DCOP Kwateng said on May 26, 2021, Police gathered information to the effect that Atsikpo acted in concert with two other accomplices to abduct and kill the deceased for ritual purposes at a shrine at Nudowukorpe, near Tadzewu.
He said Police quickly went to shrine but could not find the suspects, however, on May 31, Police returned to the shrine and arrested them.
The Commander said the body of the boy which was put in a sack and buried in one of the rooms was exhumed with maggots all over it.
DCOP Kwateng said one Sanya motorbike with registration number M-19-VR-1348 used to convey the body, one pair of black slippers belonging to the deceased were retrieved from the murder scene, whiles a single slipper, a set of dresses and one duster were also retrieved from the shrine.
He said the Environmental Health Officers conducted inspection on the body and it was revealed that the intestines, kidney heart and penis of the deceased have been removed.
Mr Kwateng said the body was sent to Police Hospital in Accra for preservation and autopsy.
DCOP Kwateng said Police proceeded to arrest suspect Kudzo Akpatsu, father of suspect Morris Etse who is currently at large, Kwami Kagbetor, Louis Etse, who were implicated in the conspiracy from the hideouts.
He said further investigation revealed that suspect Atsikpo, a native of Ative, deals in human parts and promised to get a fetish priest, Hunor Kofi Koko, human parts to perform sacrifices to build a new deity to be named Agbavor.
The Commander said Hunor Koko then instructed Anani and Morris to meet Atsikpo at Nornyikpo for the sacrifices, and Atsikpo directed them via phone call to meet him at a location to undertake their plans.
Mr Kwateng said during the meeting of the trio, Atsikpo called the boy to accompany him to a forest, and he obliged, and at the forest the trio killed him, put his body in a sack and conveyed it on a motor bike to the shrine for the rituals.
DCOP Kwateng said at a meeting a witness eavesdropped on their conversation, but did not know who the target was until the disappearance of the boy was noticed.
He disclosed that when Hunor and his accomplices knew that police were after them, they escaped to Aflao and eventually crossed the border to Togo.
The Commander said on June 18, 2021, the Police secured warrant of arrest and extradition order from a court to enable them to arrest the suspects in the Republic of Togo.
He said on June 19, this year, Interpol Togo arrested Hunor Koko and his brother Anani Koko at Voga in Togo and extradited them to Ghana to assist in investigations.
DCOP Kwateng said five out of the seven suspects, admitted their roles in killing of the boy, and have been remanded into police custody by Kpetoe District Magistrate Court to reappear on July 5, 2021.
Seven persons have been arrested in connection with the disappearance and murder of 12-year-old Cornelius Negble at Nornyikpo in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region.
The suspects included Hunor Kofi Koko, 30, a spiritualist, 30, Kwamevi Kagbeto, 37, Anani Koko, 23, Senanu Ashitor Atsikpo, 28, Louis Etse, 25 and Fianyo Sandema 39 and Kudzo Akpatsu, 49 and father of suspect Morris, who is at large.
According to the Police, five of the suspects admitted to playing various roles in the abduction and killing of the deceased for ritual purposes and narrated how the murder was orchestrated and executed.
The Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Edward Oduro Kwateng, said one of the suspects, Mr Ashitor Atsikpo who deals in human parts, told them he was aided by two assigns of Mr Hunor Kofi, Mr Anani Koko, and Mr Morris to kill the boy.
This was after they succeeded in luring him into a nearby forest.
The corpse was delivered to the shrine of Mr Hunor Kofi in Nudowukorpe in fulfilment of a promise by Mr Ashitor Atsikpo to make available human parts to use in performing sacrifices in building a new deity.
DCOP Edward Oduro Kwateng detailed that preliminary investigations revealed Mr Senanu’s involvement in the murder of the little boy for ritual purposes.
He explained a second visit to Mr Hunor Kofi’s shrine led to the exhumation of the 12-year-old boy’s head while his maggot-infested headless body was kept in a sack. His kidney, heart and penis were removed.
He added that “one Sanya motorbike with registration number M-19-VR-1348 used in conveying the body of Cornelius Negble, one pair of slippers belonging to the deceased was recovered from where the killing took place.”
“A single slipper recovered from the shrine at Nuduwukorpe belonging to Senanu Ashitor Atsikpo, a set of dresses belonging to Hunor Kofi Koko, but recovered from Senuanu Ashitor Atsikpo. It is worthy to note here that because Senanu had his clothes drenched in blood, he requested Hunor Kofi Koku to issue him a new set of dresses. This was done to avoid any suspicion. One duster belonging to Anani Koko was also retrieved from the shrine. All items retrieved are retained for evidential purpose”, he explained.
“The body has since been removed and sent to the Police Hospital in Accra for preservation and autopsy”, he said.
He explained it took a collaborative effort with their counterparts in Togo to arrest Hunor Kofi, who fled to the neighbouring country upon sensing danger.
All seven suspects have been remanded into Police Custody by Samuel Essel Walker after they were arraigned before the Kpetoe District Magistrate Court and would reappear on July 5, 2021.
He, therefore, urged the public to timely inform the police on suspected criminal acts to avert the unfortunate from happening.
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Ho: Fetish priest, six others arrested for murder of 12-year-old boy
Published: June 25, 2021 By: Feisel Abdul-Iddrisu – Starrfm, Ghana
Police in the Volta region have arrested seven persons in connection with the abduction and subsequent murder of a 12-year old boy, Cornelius Negble at Nornyikpo, a village near Ziope in the Agotime-Ziope district of the Volta region.
The suspects, Senanu Ashitor Attipoe, 28, Hunor Kofi alias Ando Kofi, aged 30, Anani Koko, 23, Kwamevi Kagbetor, aged 37, Louis Etsey, 25, Kudzo Akpatsu, 49 and Sandema Fianyor, 49 who were arrested at separate hideouts and on different days have been remanded into police custody by the Kpetoe District Magistrate Court to re-appear on Monday, 5 July, 2021 while investigations continue.
Background to the case
According to the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Edward Oduro Kwanteg, on May 22, 2021, one Mary Amewonu reported to the Kpetoe police that her grandson Cornelius Negble (now deceased) had gone missing at Nornyikpo. As a result, the Kpetoe police immediately commenced investigations into the incident.
On the same day, Senanu Ashitor Attipoe, was arrested by some village folks upon suspicion that he was the architect in the disappearance of the 12-year old boy. The suspect was then handed over to the police to assist investigations.
Upon interrogation, the police gathered information that the suspect, Senanu Ashitor Attipoe had abducted the young boy and subsequently killed him with the help of two others -Anani Koko and one Morris (now at large) for ritual purposes at a shrine at Nudowukorpe in the Akatsi North District.
On May 26, 2021 a police team was dispatched to the shrine but met none of the other suspects.
Subsequently, on Monday, 31 May 2021 the police and a team of Environmental Health Officials arrived at the shrine again to effect the arrest of the abductors only to find the severed head of the victim buried in one of the rooms while the remaining maggots infested body was kept in a sack.
Upon examination, it emerged that body parts of the deceased including his manhood, kidney, intestines and heart were removed. The body was then deposited at the police hospital in Accra for preservation and autopsy.
Arrest of other suspects
Later same day, suspects Kudzo Akpatsu, Kwamevi Kagbetor and Louis Etsey who were implicated in the conspiracy were arrested from their hideouts.
Unfortunately, when the fetish priest, Hunor Kofi Koko and his assigns learnt of police pursuit, they escaped to Aflao and eventually crossed the border into the Republic of Togo.
But on Saturday, 19 June 2021, Interpol in Togo succeeded in arresting the escapees which included the fetish priest and his brother Anani Koko at Voga in Togo after police in Ghana had secured a warrant of arrest and extraction order from the court.
Modus Operandi
Further investigations have revealed that the prime suspect, Senanu Ashitor Attipoe deals in human parts and promised same for Hunor Kofi Koko alias Ando Kofi to perform sacrifices in building a new deity.
As a result, the fetish priest instructed his assigns, Anani Koko and Morris to meet Senanu at Nornyikpo for the intended human sacrifice.
But Senanu’s attempts to direct his partners to the location through a phone conversation was eavesdropped by a witness (name withed) who at the time did not know who the target was until the disappearance of the 12-year old boy.
When the trio finally met, Senanu then called the unsuspecting young boy, Cornelius Negble to accompany him to a nearby forest. Upon getting to the forest, Senanu is said to have gripped the victim by the neck and forcibly pushed him to the ground and then called his accomplices who were already trailing them. The trio then killed the victim, put the body in a sack and conveyed same on a motorbike to Nudowukorpe for the rituals.
At a press briefing in Ho on Thursday, the Volta regional police command called on the public to volunteer with information towards the arrest of the last suspect only known as Morris, while urging the public to also support with any information that will aid investigations into the gruesome murder.
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.
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.
The following article contains a weird story. It’s not about a ritual murder or ritualistic act, although witchcraft could be included in the category of ritualistic acts. The common base is superstition and the belief in the supernatural impact of one’s occult acts or deeds.
Adamawa State is located in located in the North East geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones commonly called zones.
For the official website of the Adawama State government: click here
Man confesses to being a witch and turning his neighbour into a chicken in AdamawaState
Published: August 15, 2023 By: Azonuchechi Chukwu – Naija247News, Nigeria
Ms Azonuchechi Chukwu has a BSC holder in mass communication Ebonyi State University
A 23-year-old man identified as Tangla Isuwa, was almost lynched to death in Adamawa State after he allegedly confessed to being a witch and turning his neighbour, Danladi Markus, “to a chicken for three weeks.”
Tangla, who hails from Dong community in Demsa Local Government Area of the state, allegedly said he bewitched Markus and made him sick for allegedly killing his father by witchcraft in the community.
It was gathered that some youths in the community descended on Tangla and beat him up in an attempt to kill him for the alleged crime.
Spokesman of the state police command, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, who confirmed the incident on Monday, August 14, 2023, said about 15 persons have been arrested for allegedly assaulting the suspect.
During interrogation by the PPRO, Tangla said that in 2020, a man known as Mabudi gave him charms to fortify himself, explaining that Mabudi had asked him to mix the charms with white chicken and eat after cooking it.
Tangla said after he had eaten the chicken mixed the charms, he started seeing animals like rats, horses and cattle with 3 legs and sometimes 6 legs without other people seeing them.
Tangla said that it was at this point in time that he knew he had been initiated into occultism, saying that since then, he became a full fledged witch.
He further narrated that his biological father died this year, and alleged that it was Danladi Markus and his step father known as Absalom who killed him by witchcraft.
According to him, after the death of his father, he met Mabudi and informed him about his plan to retaliate by killing Danladi Markus by witchcraft.
He said that he caught Danladi’s spirit by 2:00am and handed him over to other witches where they tied him with ropes on a mango tree, saying that Danladi became critically ill.
He pointed out that a family meeting was summoned, and that at the meeting, Danladi started mentioning his name and that of Mabudi as those responsible for his sickness
He said that Mabudi escaped from the venue of the meeting leaving him behind, and that immediately, some youths in the community stormed the meeting and forced him to “lose” Danladi or be killed.
Tangla explained that he had pleaded with the youths to wait until 12:00am for him to lose Danladi and assured them that he won’t be killed.
According to him, he went into the spirit and untied him, but that he suffered a lot because Mabudi did not want him to “lose Danladi but to slaughter him for meat.”
Tangla Isuwa assured that he had succeeded in releasing Danladi and that he is at the moment sound and healthy.
He insisted that he is a witch but vehemently denied killing anybody.
Niger State is no exception to the general observation that ritualistic murders are being committed in each of Nigeria’s 36 states (and the Federal Capital Territory). Though I certainly have not covered all recently reported and suspected ritual murder cases in Niger state, which is located in the North central Region of Nigeria, I did report a few since the start of this site in 2018. See my postings of September 15, 2019, August 30, 2022, and February 21, 2023.
Niger State is Nigeria’s largest state covering a total area of 76,363 km2 (29,484 sq mi), approximately 9% of the total land area. The state capital is Minna, major cities include Bida, Kontagora, Suleja, and Wawa. Niger State’s total population is an estimated 7 million people and composed of numerous indigenous tribes.
The state’s population is mainly muslim, hence Niger State is one of Nigeria’s states where the Sharia law was adopted – since May 4, 2000. The state is also known as The Power State because of its economic potential and abundant natural resources including coal, crude oil, gold, iron ore, phosphate, tin, and uranium.
A Niger State High Court sentenced a convicted ritual murderer, Tunde Tayo, to death by hanging. He was convicted to have murdered for ritual purposes Abdullahi Janiya Yahaya, in Minna in 2019.
Though I strongly support the prosecution of suspected ritual murderers and the rule of law, I have my doubt about the effectiveness of the capital punishment as a deterrent. The phenomenon of ritualistic murders is too complicated to eradicate by only harsh punishments. (webmaster FVDK)
Niger Court Sentences Man To Death By Hanging for ritual murder
Published: January 11, 2024 By: Abu Nmodu – Leadership, Nigeria
A Niger State High Court has convicted and sentenced one Tunde Tayo to death by hanging for the murder of Abdullahi Janiya Yahaya in Maitumbi area of Minna. He was accused of conniving with his friend now at large to kill Yahaya for ritual purpose by cutting his head and burying his body in a shallow grave around Maitumbi area of Minna in 2019. The judge, Justice Mohammed Mohammed handed down the sentence yesterday in a judgement delivered for over two hours.
After reviewing the case and submissions of the parties involved, Justice Mohammed held that the circumstantial evidence against the accused by the prosecutor was strong, cogent and direct. The judge reviewed that the convict was arraigned on two count charges of robbery and culpable homicide under sections 298 and 221 of the penal code.
The judge, reviewed that the convict admitted in his statement to the police that he owns the uncompleted building, that the body was buried adding that, “although he denied killing the deceased, circumstantial evidence established that he was last seen with the deceased and that he committed the crime.”
The judge said, “On the charge of robbery on section 298 of penal code, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. On the second count charges of culpable homicide under section 221 of the penal code law, you, Tunde Tayo is hereby convicted and sentenced to death by hanging until you die. May Almighty God have mercy on your soul”.
The murder for ritual purposes of Favour Daley-Oladela in 2019 led to much unrest as well as a wave of articles on the terror of so-called ‘money rituals’ in Nigeria. For briefness sake I may refer here to my posting of January 9, 2020 ‘A selection of articles on the ritual murder of Favour Daley-Oladele, Nigeria’.
As a reminder I will recall what basically happened on the fateful day in December 2019 when the innocent university student was brutally murdered. Favour Daley-Oladele, a final year student of Lagos State University (LASU), was murdered and partly cannibalized for a ritualistic motive, a ‘money ritual’, by her boyfriend Owolabi Adeeko, aided by Philip Segun, a white garment church pastor and his mother, Mrs. Bola Adeeko.
Last month, a High Court found both men guilty of conspiracy and murder and sentenced them to death by hanging for murder (Owolabi Adeeko) and 14 years imprisonment (Philip Segun) for conspiracy. The court also found Bola, Owolabi’s mother, guilty of eating human flesh and sentenced her to two years imprisonment.
Read the full article below. Warning: the article may upset readers because of its shocking and graphic contents. (FVDK)
The long arm of justice, after three years, finally caught up with killers and eaters of Favour Daley-Oladele, a final year student of Lagos State University, brutally murdered and used for “victory soup” ritual concoction by her boyfriend, Owolabi Adeeko, and a prophet, Segun Philip.
Last month, a High Court found Owolabi and Segun guilty of conspiracy and murder and sentenced them to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The court also found Bola, Owolabi’s mother, guilty of eating human flesh and sentenced her to two years imprisonment.
Favour, a student of Theatre Arts, was in a final semester and at home to meet her parents before Owolabi put a call to her to meet him, so they could meet his uncle at Ikoyi in Isokan local government area of Osun State.
The deceased, who had attended church service on the day, also spoke with her father who wished her success in her final examinations before setting out on the fateful trip.
Before leaving home on that day, she also informed her mother that she was going back to school but will also be seeing a friend on her way and the mother never knew that the friend would eventually use her for “victory soup” and together with his mother “eat her up for their own good”.
Days after leaving home, Favour’s parents became apprehensive having tried to reach her on phone severally and were not successful, an unusual character, hence, they reached out to her friends in school who told them she had not returned to school.
The parents had to report a missing person at a police station in Mowe, Ogun State.
Meanwhile, Owolabi and Prophet Philip had concluded plans on how to kill the missing girl and butcher her for ritual soup.
She had journeyed all the way from Mowe to Osun and, upon arrival, she was lodged in a hotel in Ikoyi but rather than allow her rest upon complaint of tiredness, the boyfriend urged her to meet his supposed uncle before she would later come back to the hotel for a complete rest.
At a church, which is secluded from the rest of the community, Favour still complained of the need to rest and her boyfriend urged her to enter into the partial wooden building to rest while he and his prophet accomplice concluded their talk before returning to the hotel.
While Owolabi and Segun chatted outside the building they took time to check on the poor lady and having been sure that she was fully asleep, Owolabi took a pestle and smashed it on her head. Thereafter, the prophet cut her opened and took the vital organs needed for the ritual soup.
Arrest
After Favour’s parents reported that she was missing at the police division in Mowe, the Divisional Police Officer assembled a team of detectives to find her.
The team, according to Ogun Police Command spokesperson, tracked her phone to her last destination, hence, the team mounted surveillance in the town and further tracked the last location of the phone to the church where the prophet was arrested.
The cleric informed the police that the deceased was brought to him by Owolabi who was still in the hotel where he lodged. They were both arrested after Christmas in 2019.
‘I lured her to Ikoyi to kill’
After his arrest, Owolabi told police detectives that he lured the victim to Osun under the pretence to meet his uncle and spend more time together.
He added that she travelled down because of the trust she had in him as the victim had not embarked on such journey before that one which eventually was her last.
His confessional statement which was tendered in court “I called Favour on December 8, 2019 to meet me at Ikoyi-Ile so that we could spend time together. She met me at an hotel in the area, but immediately she got there, she started complaining that she was tired and needed to rest.
“I told her that we needed to visit my dad’s younger brother before she would rest. It was a lie. I tricked her into going to the church of Segun. When we got to the church, again, she complained that she wanted to sleep, so, I asked her to go into the church and rest.
“When she slept off, I used a pestle to smash her in the head and she died. After we confirmed she was dead, Pastor Segun slaughtered her and removed the vital organs from her body which he used to prepare concoction for me and my mum to eat.
“Despite what we ate, things have not improved till I was arrested. My mum’s business has not improved after what we did and despite all our efforts. I think the money ritual did not work”.
He added that his mother was not aware of his evil plans and was made to believe that she was eating ritual soup prepared from goat’s organs.
Owolabi agreed to face the consequences of his actions but asserted that punishing his mother would amount to an injustice.
On his part, Segun admitted to cutting the deceased open after her boyfriend had killed her, removed her vital organs to prepare the spiritual meal for mother and son to be victorious of spiritual attacks.
His words also admitted as confession in court: “It is true I slaughtered Favour with a knife. I removed her heart, breasts, and other vital organs so we could use them for rituals. But, I was not the one that smashed her head with a pestle. Owolabi did it.
“We deceived Mrs Adeeko that the concoction was prepared with goat’s organs. She was not aware we used human parts in the concoction I gave her. I prepared the ritual for them because I was broke and I needed money. I demanded N250,000 but was paid N210, 000.
“I was called by God, but I think I have lost the call because of what I did”.
Owolabi’s mother, Bola, said she was not aware a human was killed in a bid for her to overcome her spiritual challenges.
According to her, she was made to believe the concoction she ate was prepared from goat meat.
Exhuming body
Following their arrest and confession, Owolabi and Segun told the police that the remains of Favour were buried in the church building. The entire community was thrown into frenzy when the remains were exhumed from a shallow grave close to the building.
The already decomposing body was packed in a body bag and transported to Ogun State with a view to delivering it to the family after autopsy.
Arraignment
The three suspects were first arraigned before an Osun State Magistrate Court in November 2020 after investigation by the police on two counts of conspiracy and murder.
They were later arraigned before a High Court sitting in Ikire.
The prosecution, led by Adekemi Bello, called nine witnesses during trial to establish conspiracy and murder charges against the suspects who testified for themselves.
At the end of trial, Justice Christiana Obadina found Owolabi and Segun guilty of conspiracy and murder.
She sentenced the Prophet and Owolabi to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The trial judge also found Bola, Owolabi’s mother, guilty of eating human flesh and sentenced her to two years imprisonment.
Reaction
The Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Yisau Oyetunji, said the community is peaceful and the people peace loving.
He maintained that the killer-prophet is not an indigene of the community.
The monarch stressed that churches should be properly registered with a view to identifying and preventing such horrible incident.
“From my findings, the self-acclaimed pastor is not an indigene of Ikoyi. The fellow who took the lady to the place, his mother and the victim are also not from Ikoyi”, he said.
“My plea to religious leaders and residents of Ikoyi and Osun State in general is to be vigilant. We should take up responsibility to secure our areas.
“If we see any strange faces or movements, we should try and do our findings on them. Our surveillance should not be restricted to strangers alone. We should not be silent on the issue of security. We should report to the police anyone constituting security risk”.
Meanwhile, the sentencing of the killers means a proper closure to a sad tale for Favour’s parents as justice appears to have been served.
Murder cases show a rising trend in Zimbabwe, according to statistics released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency. In 2018 more than 1,450 murders were reported, this number increased to more than 1,700 cases in 2019 and to nearly 3,600 cases in the two-year period between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. The yearly average of 1,500-1,600 murder cases means that each month more than 100 persons are being murdered.
It is not known how many ritualistic murders (‘muti murders’) are included in this yearly average of 1,500 – 1,600 victims. Statistics only reveal part of the truth. By definition, ‘muti murders’ are murders committed in secret, and some victims (statistically recorded as ‘missing persons’) are never found. Only discovered bodies of victims with ‘parts’ (often organs) missing indicate that a murder for ritualistic purposes has been committed, but even then one has to be careful and not jump to conclusions as the perpetrator(s) may intentionally mislead the investigators by removing body parts.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the occurrence of ritual murders constitutes a problem in this Southern Africa country (as it does in neighboring countries). Recently, a debate on the persistent problem of muti murders arose after the discovery of a mutilated body in Greystone Parts, near Hatfield, in Mashonaland East and southeast of the capital Harare.
In the article presented below also reference is made to the notorious Tapiwah Makore case, referring to the seven-year old boy who was murdered for ritualistic purposes by his uncle in 2020 (see previous posts). But, as the article relates, Tapiwah Makoreh (also spelled as Tapiwa Makore) was not the only or last victim of unscrupulous murderers who are driven by greed and superstition. Unfortunately, the discovery of the dead body of Faith Musonza in Greystone Park only confirms this sad conclusion. (webmaster FVDK)
Zimbabwe grapples with ritual murders
Some people blame witch doctors for rising cases of ritual murders
Published: February 26, 2023 By: Staff reporter – The Zimbabwe Mail
IT is late afternoon in the heart of Greystone Park, some 20 kilometres from Hatfield, where the gruesome murder of Spar employee Faith Musonza is said to have occurred.
A relative’s home in Greystone Park is where her funeral is taking place.
A gentle breeze steadily blows across the yard as if everything is normal, but this is not the case.
Mourners have been stunned into silence as they struggle to come to terms with the sad news of Musonza’s untimely death.
“We are still trying to process everything; it feels like a dream,” said one of the relatives who appeared non-plussed at the funeral wake.
Musonza’s husband, Fradreck Chasara, was visibly disturbed, as he unsteadily alternated between a black leather couch and the carpeted floor.
Musonza was recently killed in Hatfield by unknown assailants as she headed to her rented house in Cranborne from work.
Her mutilated body was found dumped in a storm drain. Heinous crimes involving grisly murders have become prevalent of late. The sanctity of human life is no longer being observed.
In 2020, the nation woke up to news of the callous murder of seven-year-old Tapiwa Makore in a suspected ritual killing.
He was buried the following year, with his head still missing. The incident left many with a lot of unanswered questions.
Last year, in Nyanga, two related seven-year-olds were found dead in a disused house in the village, with their throats cut open and blood drained.
Several other murder cases have been reported across the country.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, the number of murder cases continue to rise with each passing year. At least 1 453 cases were recorded in 2018, before rising to 1 733 the following year. Between January 2020 and December 2021, 3 583 cases were recorded.
Overall, the cases averaged between 1 500 and 1 600 every year.
“A murder case is recorded every week; in some situations, even two or more, with the trend growing in all provinces,” said Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
Most of the killings, he said, are associated with infidelity, alcohol abuse and rituals. Statistics from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) also corroborate the same trend.
“In January 2021, we had 630 people incarcerated for murder and the figure rose to 845 by October that same year.
“In January 2022, we had 817 and the figure stood at 984 by November,” said ZPCS.
Mental health issues
Psychologist and University of Johannesburg post-doctoral researcher Dr John Ringson believes most murders are caused by mental health issues.
“When one is mentally unstable, even a small argument can trigger aggression. We have had cases of people who committed murder for beer or small amounts of money. Mental health issues need to be addressed at national level,” he said.
Drugs and substance abuse, he added, were also causing mental health challenges that push people to commit crimes.
Traditionalist Mbuya Calista Magorimbo says some bogus witch doctors who encourage harvesting of body parts for rituals (kuromba) to boost business fortunes are also causing the unnecessary loss of human lives.
“Ritual killings for purposes of becoming wealthy have existed since time immemorial. However, the situation has since gone out of hand due to prevailing economic hardships,” she said.
“Some even harvest body parts for charms to make them powerful at work or to get healed from certain ailments. Women and children are often murder targets.”
She, however, argues that such rituals have never been proved to be effective.
“This is pure cultism, which yields nothing but generational curses, yet some people believe it actually works. Murder only brings trouble!” she warned.
Killings only attract avenging spirits and generational curses, according to Sekuru Peter Maponda, which he believes only serve to perpetuate a vicious circle of crime and murder. Roman Catholic priest Father Paul Mayeresa says avenging spirits exist.
“The Bible values the sanctity of life and does not allow killing under any circumstances. Some murders are due to either temporary or permanent insanity, while others are premeditated revenge,” he said.
“Avenging spirits exist and depending on the relatives of the deceased and their spirituality, some families end up forgiving the perpetrators while others prefer to let the dead fight from the grave.”
House of Refuge International Ministries founder Apostle Partson Machengete is of the opinion that “poverty has left most people desperate to get rich overnight”.
“As a result, they are forced to believe myths that ostensibly offer solutions to their problems. Witch doctors are fleecing the vulnerable and pushing them into unholy acts. They are made to believe the rituals will make them rich.”
He, however, feels some murder cases are genuine accidents and, in some instances, a result of self-defence.
Remedy
There is consensus that communities need to be sensitised on the need to observe the sanctity of human life.
“We need all stakeholders to come together and formulate programmes that educate the community on the issues and bridge existing gaps,” urges Laws of Attraction psychologist Blessed Chinyangare.
“There is a human element and a spiritual element to this issue, hence it has to be tackled from both ends.”
Headman Zvinowanda Pfumbidzai of Machera village in Hwedza said in murder cases, the funerals and burials should be different from ordinary ones.
In African tradition, he said, murder invites curses for both the victim and the perpetrator’s families, hence rituals become necessary to cleanse the parties involved.
“Traditionally, the wronged family conducts rituals — kureverera — to provoke the spirit of the deceased to go and get revenge, so, in return, the murderer should pay damages — kuripa.
“The victim’s family should be given room to indicate their price during the process. Likewise, the victim’s family should also conduct a cleansing ceremony,” he said.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring South Africa, murder cases reportedly increased by 22 percent since 2012.
Most of the killings usually occur between Friday and Sunday.
The South African Police Service has since deployed desk-based police officers to the streets, particularly in identified hotspots, while dedicated detectives track and arrest suspects wanted for violent crimes. – Sunday Mail
The article below pays attention to the first study of its kind (at least, as far as I know) that gives us reliable and in-depth information on the scale of ritual murders in a West African country as well as details pertaining to the ‘how and why’ of ritual killings in this country, Ghana. The author, Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu, is a law and criminology researcher at Aberystwyth University and a lecturer at Arden University (all in the United Kingdom). He recognizes that the reported ritual murder cases which were analyzed, and which were all reported in three local Ghanaian media outlets in the 2013-2020 period, may be only the tip of the iceberg due to a number of factors which he explains in the study.
The author studied and analyzed 96 ritual murder cases (reported in the 2013-2020 period) involving approximately 116 victims including 62 children. This means an average of 16 ritual murders including 9 child victims each year – in Ghana only, a country with a population of about 30 million. Significantly, the study shows that ritual murders form approximately 1.6% of all the murders chronicled in the country annually.
The study is entitled ‘The Superstition that Dismembers the African Child: An Exploration of the Scale and Features of Juju-Driven Paedicide in Ghana’. The 42-page study, in volume 60 issue 1 of the ‘International Annals of Criminology’ by Cambridge University Press, has been published in open access for which the publishers are to be commended. It is available in both HTML and PDF formats at: https://doi.org/10.1017/cri.2022.2 or click here. (webmaster FVDK)
Over 16 ritual murders occur in Ghana each year, a recent study shows
Published: August 23, 2022 By: Vincent Tutu Bawuah – Modern Ghana
Juju-driven homicide or ritual murder has been the subject of many media reports in contemporary Ghana. However, very little is known about the prevalence/magnitude and features of this crime in the country, as national data sets on the ritual murder phenomenon are presently non-existent.
To help address the problem relating to the paucity of information on ritual murder, Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu (also known as Black Power), a law and criminology researcher at Aberystwyth University and a lecturer at Arden University (all in the United Kingdom), has conducted a dynamic study on juju and ritual paedicides/pedicides (i.e. killing children for ritual or occult purposes) in Ghana, the first of its kind in a West African setting.
The study sought to establish the scale and identify the primary features, motivations, and socio-cultural, religious and economic contexts of ‘ritual paedicide’ (a phrase coined by the researcher himself) in contemporary Ghana. It also examines the criminal justice system’s responses to such murders.
To realize the defined aim, an in-depth analysis of ritual homicide cases/reports publicized in three local Ghanaian media outlets (the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, and Daily Guide) between September 2013 and August 2020 was carried out. Semi-structured interviews involving 20 participants were then conducted to gain additional insights into key aspects of the results of the media content analysis.
The following are some of the key findings of the study:
A total of 96 reports/articles on ritual murder were extracted from the websites of the three media outlets perused, and this involved approximately 116 victims. Out of the 116 victims, 62 were children. This means that at least 16.5 ritual murders involving approximately 9 child victims occur in Ghana each year. The study also indicates that ritual paedicide forms approximately 1.6% of all the murders chronicled in the country annually. The researcher however admits that the number of ritual paedicide cases identified in the selected media outlets may be only the tip of the iceberg due to a number of limitations highlighted in the study.
Most ritual paedicide victims (over 79%) are children of low socio-economic backgrounds in rural and semi-rural communities. There is no significant difference in the number of boys and girls murdered. Blood, the head, the limbs, and the private parts are the most sought-after body parts. Several reasons have been suggested for this trend. Ritual paedicide cases were more prevalent in the western part of Ghana than in other areas of the country. A reason for this development has been suggested in the study.
Poor parental supervision is a significant risk factor for ritual paedicide. Over 70% of the victims were kidnapped while playing outside their homes unsupervised, going to school or fetching water from a stream unaccompanied, or running errands for their parents or other family members. Though letting children under 10 years roam about unsupervised appears to be a normal practice in most African communities, the study cautions against it.
Most ritual murders involve multiple perpetrators, and a number of factors have been offered to explain this trend. Most perpetrators and prime suspects are males, aged between 20 and 39 years, mostly unemployed or financially handicapped. However, the study does not rule out the involvement of rich and educated people who are highly likely to hire others (ideally, poor or unemployed youth) to commit the barbaric crime rather than doing it themselves.
Unlike other forms of homicide, perpetrators of ritual paedicide are strangers nearly as often as being family members and acquaintances. Fathers, stepfathers, and uncles are the dominant culprits in cases where victims and perpetrators are related.
The most dominant motivation for ritual murder in Ghana is pecuniary gain. Among the key factors that account for the prevalence and persistence of ritual murders in the country are widespread unemployment and concomitant economic privations, obsession with juju, the increasing popularity of ‘cyber-criminality’ and the so-called Sakawa Boys, exposure of Ghanaian youth to African movies that portray juju and juju rituals as an efficient wealth-guaranteeing religious practice, illiteracy, and the emergence of a new ‘consumerist ethos’ that has engrossed the Ghanaian society and which is marked by the unrestrained quest for material success and the flamboyant display of luxury.
The majority of perpetrators are not apprehended or even identified by law enforcement agencies. There is evidence of police laxity in investigating and prosecuting cases of ritual pedicide in Ghana.
The study, entitled ‘The Superstition that Dismembers the African Child: An Exploration of the Scale and Features of Juju-Driven Paedicide in Ghana’, makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge. It is highly significant as it breaks new ground and provides a foundation for further informed engagement with the ritual paedicide phenomenon in Africa.
The full study (a 42-page article) has been published (open access) in volume 60 issue 1 of the ‘International Annals of Criminology’ by Cambridge University Press. It could be accessed in both HTML and PDF formats at: https://doi.org/10.1017/cri.2022.2
Below follows a shocking account from Uganda. It is not the first time on this site that human sacrifices, ritual murders and ritualistic activities are being reported from this East African country.
The reported steep increase in the number of (reported and/or discovered!) human sacrifices is indeed extremely worrisome, the more so that we may assume that the discovered or reported cases of ritual killing are only the tip of an iceberg.
It’s a horrifying reality that mainly children are victim of these crimes which are above all based on superstition and (partly) caused by poverty. Partly caused, because according to reports not only poor people resort to human sacrifices to increase their well-being. Also (rich) businessmen do, as the 2014 case of the business tycoon Kato Kajubi demonstrates (see my posting dated May 7, 2021).
Whereas in 2019 22 ritualistic murders were recorded, this number rose to 45 in 2020, and to 65 last year (2021), resulting in the sad total figure of 132 human sacrifices which have been recorded.
Ritual killings must stop! (webmaster FVDK)
‘A big problem’: Uganda sees spike in human sacrifice incidents
Most victims of the sacrifices are children, apparently because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and so of “higher ritual value”. (AA Archive)
Published: July 3, 2022 By: TRT News
Authorities say human sacrifices take place at advice of ‘witch doctors’ in superstition-hit rural areas to bring good luck.
Human sacrifices continue unabated in the remote and rural areas of the landlocked East African country of Uganda despite authorities enacting tough laws and threatening death sentences.
According to officials, 132 incidents of human sacrifices have been recorded in the last three years. The numbers have spiked from 22 sacrifices in 2019, 45 in 2020 and 65 in 2021.
Most victims of such “ritual sacrifices” are children, apparently because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and so of “higher ritual value”.
Anadolu Agency quoted authorities as saying on Sunday that the sacrifices are being carried out by witch doctors or local traditional healers, dotting rural areas.
Admitting that human sacrifice is a big problem, Lucas Oweyesigire, the police spokesman for the Kampala region, said most such practices take place in rural areas.
The so-called leader of traditional healing and witch doctors, Mama Fina, has also condemned human sacrifice and described those recommending the sacrifice of human beings as “fake”.
Taking advice from witch doctors
Police spokesman Fred Enanga said only last month they “arrested a man identified as Musilimu Mbwire on suspicion of killing his two sons in human sacrifice.”
According to preliminary investigations, a rich man had paid Mbwire money and convinced him to sacrifice his two sons at the instructions of a witch doctor.
Superstitions lead people in rural areas to seek help from witch doctors, who in turn offer weird prescriptions, including human sacrifices to turn around their luck.
A more worrisome part of the superstition is to undertake human sacrifice to put the body at the foundation of a building to bring good luck.
Timothy Mukasa, a local leader in Kampala’s suburb of Kireka, said many multi-storey buildings in the town have been built on a human body.
“The witch doctors tell owners to put a human body at the foundation of the construction of the buildings,” he said.
In 2014, authorities apprehended and later sentenced a tycoon Kato Kajubi for sacrificing a child and then putting his body in the foundation of a building that he was about to construct.
David Musenze, a journalist who studied psychology, said there are not many qualified counsellors to attend to psychological and mental issues of people, which makes them take advice from witch doctors.
“People go to witch doctors to help them get jobs, be promoted at jobs, or kill their enemies, along with many other problems,” he said.
The focus of the September 2021 article showing below is clear even though it’s in Pidgin English, a mixture of English and local languages spoken in Ghana. It refers to several ritual killing cases which have already been reported on this site, like the notorious Kasao ritual murder case. It also refers to the role of media, notably television, which has also been addressed in previous posts.
The main theme is clear: ritual murder cases are in the rise in Ghana, a worrisome phenomenon. The article below scratches the surface of the roots of the problem: superstition, lack of education – even though education provides no guarantee – and a weak rule of law, sometimes caused by institutional factors, sometimes attributed to connivance of authorities at the highest level.
The eradication of ritualistic activities including murder must have a high priority of lawmakers and those who are responsible for upholding the law. It’s a question of protection of human rights, notably the right to live and to live without fear, and of having a modern, democratic society in conformity with what one may expect in the 21st century. (webmaster FVDK)
Ghana money rituals: Why ritual murder dey on de rise for Ghana
Published: September 2021 By: Seth Kofi Yeboah – BBC
Two teenagers bin allegedly kill dis 11-year old boy afta witch doctor allegedly direct dem to do so
Ritual murder be major issue Ghanaians dey deal with after de country start dey record multiple cases dis year.
In de past, some of de most infamous ritual murderers target women, but recently children be de target of ritual murders for Ghana.
But question wey dey on de minds of many people be why ritual murder dey on de rise for Ghana.
Why ritual killings dey increase for Ghana
Unemployment be major challenge which most Ghanaian youth dey face.
Dis unemployment challenge create economic hardships give young people who dey look for get rich quick schemes to escape poverty.
Security Analyst, Adam Bonaa dey argue say jobless youth dey take up criminal means to survive.
”While internet fraud, robbery, money laundering den tins be criminal activities de youth dey engage in, some people dey see ritual killings as option.
“De killings dey happen sake of Spiritualists who dey promise patrons money”, he talk.
Popular traditional priest, Nana Kwaku Bonsam explain dis better, according to him, ‘fake’ traditional priests dey demand for people to satisfy some very difficult conditions like bringing human parts den tins.
Dis be one of de reasons why ritual killings dey on de rise.
Dis show in de recent Kasoa killing case where two teenagers allegedly kill 12 year old neighbour sake of fetish priestess allegedly direct dem to bring human parts.
“De misconception be say once dem use human blood do rituals, dis dey make de vodoo more potent” Nana Kwaku Bonsam talk.
De implication be de needless killings to meet conditions of fetish priests off late.
‘Fetish priests who request for human parts be scammers’
Wetin we call dis foto, Nana Kwaku Bonsam
For popular traditional priest, Kwaku Bonsam, de use of human blood no dey make any vodoo potent.
After de murder of three kids for Abesim, he reveal say most fetish priests dey request for human parts be scammers.
According to Kwaku Bonsam, “de only blood sacrifice traditional priest dey need to perform any ritual be animal blood.”
“But some traditionalists who want make money from unsuspecting people, dey charge den big monies in addition, dem go request human parts which dem know say go be difficult to do”, he explain.
“Once you no fit do am de money you give dem lock, again you no go expect any vodoo money sake of you no bring de human parts”, Nana Kwaku Bonsam add.
“In de end, monies wey all de people who visit carry give dem as part of de ritual go be for dem – that be how dem dey scam people”, he explain.
Increase in On-air radio/TV/online adverts by fetish priests
Another cause of ritual killings be de increase in adverts by fetish priests who dey advertise say dem fit double money or give people charm to make money.
De failure of key state institutions who for control content on public radio and TV dey make some youth vulnerable to de spiritual scammers.
Those who go follow de public adverts, radio and TV shows go visit de fetish priests for money solutions dey end up going extreme lengths to kill innocent people as part of de ritual process.
Early dis year, Ghana Communicate Minister, Ursula Owusu make police arrest owner of Thunder TV and Ice1 TV sake of dem dey broadcast shows on money doubling rituals den stuff.
According to Ursula Owusu, “unregulated television stations dey promote some content which dey affect public order, public morality den rights.”
Authorities for Ghana start dey shut down TV den radio stations who dey run adverts on ritual money den tins.
Violence turn currency in Ghana
Security analyst, Dr Kwesi Aning believe say Ghana go continue to experience crimes like ritual murder sake of people dey see am as profitable venture.
According to am, “crime turn profitable venture in dis country such that we no know what to do.
“Dis in addition to de weak criminal justice system for Ghana which dey fail to arrest and prosecute criminals dey punish encourage more crime”, Aning add.
Security agencies for Ghana over de years fail to deal with crimes in de country like robbery, kidnapping den ritual murders.
Dis according to analysts dey encourage more people to attempt criminal activities like ritual murder of kids sake of dem feel say police no go investigate and bring dem to justice.
In 2019, de kidnapping of three girls for Takoradi go under police radar until media start dey report on de matter.
De many media reports put pressure on de Ghana Police Service to investigate, identify suspects den later retrieve de bodies of de girls.
After media make de issue of kidnapping a national issue, de police service make de issue step up dema investigations leading to arrest and prosecution of de suspects behind Takoradi girls who dem discover dead.
What Ghana law say about ritual murderers
Ghana dey classify murder as first degree felony, publishable by death.
Ghana lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor explain say based on section 46 of the Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29) people who commit murder go suffer de death penalty.
Despite de death sentence, Ghana shun dey effect de death sentence since 1993.
Sake of dis, in practice death row inmates dey serve life imprisonment whenever court sentence murderer to death.
