For a better understanding of the article cited below it is highly recommended to read yesterday’s posting with useful background information on the cultural-historic background pertaining to this ritual murder case as well as background information on the three arrested suspects (webmaster FVDK).
Mankessim murder: Awakrom chief calls for arrest of ‘missing’ fetish priest, Ebusuapanyin
The traditional aspect of this cultural history should be kept in mind when reading and trying to understand the following. After all, nowadays’ ritualistic activities find their origin in ancient, traditional cultural practices albeit not necessarily in the same form. However, this should not be interpreted as condoning or justifying cruel, criminal and outdated rites nowadays, in the 21st century. This explains why Nana Akwa III, the Chief of Akwakrom, called for the arrest of the missing two key persons, the fetish priest of the community who was close to one of the suspects, presently in custody, Christopher Ekow Quansah (Nana Clarke), the Tufohen, and one Mr. Kwesi Gyan, the Abiradze Ebusuapanyin, also a relation of Nana Clarke.
Mankessim murder: Fetish priest, Ebusuapanyin ‘missing’ since incident – Report
The murder suspects are currently in police custody
Published: October 1, 2022 By: Ghana Web
“More so, prior to the arrest of the Tufohen, his Ebusuapanyin was billed to meet the Chief and elders on some teething community issues, but he cannot be found. And why is he not answering our calls,” the Chief revealed.
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.
The article posted yesterday was about an alleged ritual murder case in Kasoa (formerly knows as Odupongkpehe), in Ghana’s Central Region. Since then, more details have emerged about the crime committed. Warning: some readers may find the following articles and videos disturbing (webmaster FVDK).
Two Kasoa teenagers arrested for murdering a 10-year-old, severing ear for rituals
Picture shows screen shot from the video. To watch video, click here. Viewers discretion is advised.
Published: April 4, 2021 By: GhanaWeb
Two teenagers have been arrested by the Kasoa Divisional Police Command in connection with the murder of a 10-year-old boy in what seems to be a ritual murder.
Reports available to GhanaWeb indicates the police received a distress call on Saturday at about 10:15 am about a homecode incident at Coca-Cola near Lamptey Mills, a suburb of Kasoa in the Central Region.
According to preliminary police investigations, the victim identified as Ishmael was killed by 16-year-old Felix Nyarko and Nicholas Kini, 17.
The teenage suspects are reported to have invited the deceased into an uncompleted building where they hit him with a club and cement blocks, killing him at about 9:30am the same morning.
Police sources say the boys then buried the deceased in the uncompleted building with the hope of coming back for his body in the night for ritual purpose.
Some neighbors however caught wind of their actions and raised an alarm leading to the arrest of the two.
The deceased’s body has since been deposited at the Police Hospital awaiting post-mortem whilst the suspects have been taken into custody.
Some reports claim that the suspects were told by a fetish priest to bring human parts for money rituals hence their actions.
The mother of the victim, Hajia Maame has spoken to Citi News and expressed shock over their son’s demise.
Published: April 4, 2021 By: Yen, Ghana – Jeffrey Mensah
The father of one of the two boys arrested in the Kasoa ‘Sakawa’ murder case has spoken
In a video, the man narrated how he got to know of the incident and arrested one of the suspects
The man’s son and the boy he helped to arrest, both teens, have beenarrested over the murder of a 10-year-old
The father of one of the two boys arrested over the murder of a 10-year-old boy at Kasoa has spoken on the incident. In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh, the boy’s father has narrated how he got to know of the incident and helped to apprehend the other suspect. Two teenagers were arrested on Saturday, April 3, 2021, for the murder of a 10-year-old boy identified as Ishmael.
According to reports in the media, the suspects Felix Nyarko, 18, Nicholas Kini, 19, had killed the boy for money rituals.
They were apprehended by the Kasoa Divisional Police Command following a distress call about a homicide incident in Lamptey Mills.
Speaking to the press about the incident, the father said he was in the house when his son came to tell him that they had buried the boy nearby. He went to dig up up the body and chase after the other suspect because his son had told him he did not partake in the killing.
After apprehending the other boy, he informed other people around and they took the boy to the police station. He explained that his son had told him he only called the victim for the other guy and as a father he wanted to ensure that the truth of the matter came out.
Meanwhile, Hajia Maame, the mother of the 10-year-old boy has recounted how she got to know about her son’s murder.
The bereaved mother disclosed that the elder sister of murdered 10-year-old Ishmael came to break the heart-rending news to her. Speaking in an interview, Hajia Maame told Citi News amid tears that she was shocked by her son’s demise.
The mother of slain 11-year-old Ishmael Mensah, Hajia Maame Sahadatu, has given a narration about how she was informed about her son’s murder
She disclosed that she was taking a nap when her son’s elder sister came to break the news about her brother’s demise
The bereaved mother spoke to Citi News
Hajia Maame Sahadatu, the mother of an 11-year-old boy who was gruesomely killed by two teenagers for rituals in Kasoa in the Central Region, has recounted how she got to know about her son’s murder. The bereaved mother disclosed that the elder sister of slain 11-year-old Ishmael Mensah came to break the heart-rending news to her. Speaking in an interview, Sahadatu told Citi News amid tears that she was shocked by her son’s demise.
”They (Ismael and his sister) go to Islamic school on Saturdays, but he was home because his father had returned from a trip. He was playing a game outside on his laptop while I was taking a nap,” she said.
‘His sister came running to me to tell me his brother had been killed. The police were informed and they came to the scene. My son has wrong no one,” she added. The two suspects behind the killing of the 11-year-old boy at Lamptey Mills in Kasoa, Central Region have been arrested by the Kasoa Divisional Police Command. The teenage boys, 16 and 17 years old respectively, are assisting the police with investigations. Meanwhile, the Kasoa Divisional Police Command are yet to confirm details about the incident and arrests.
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.
A mysterious message and video. Allegedly, police in Ghana caught a fetish priest red-handed while he was preparing a young girl for ritual sacrifice. It sounds too crazy to be true. However, unfortunately, in the world of lunatics and criminals nothing seems impossible when it comes to ritualistic murders and other superstitious acts.
I include this message for the record, not because I am convinced it is true, but – as I said above – nothing seems to be impossible. It is not clear where this happened.
To watch the video please go to the original site. I do not include it here. It may be that, after some time, the video is no longer accessible. Let it be. (webmaster FDK).
Police catch fetish priest red-handed preparing little girl for ritual sacrifice (video)
Police catch fetish priest red-handed attempting to kill little girl for rituals (video)
Published: June 22, 2020 By: Pulse, Ghana – Andreas Kamasah
The timely intervention of police officers following a tipoff saved a little girl from being murdered by a ritualist for sacrifice.
A goose bump-triggering video circulating online shows the said ritualist being surrounded by police officers and some residents as he is made to resuscitate the young girl who he had already hypnotised and made unconscious for offering to his gods.
In the video, the ritualist is seen jumping over the motionless girl a number of times amidst chants to revive her before she regains her consciousness, screams and wakes up from a red carpet she had been laid on.
It is not clear immediately where the terrifying incident happened.
The video was posted on Instagram by nostorytv with a captioned: “This ritualist kidnapped this young girl for rituals. Unfortunately for him, someone saw him and followed him. On the point of killing the girl, the police arrived.“
After the girl regained consciousness and walked into the arms of a woman believed to be her mother, the ritualist was then pushed into a stationary car believed to belong to the police and driven away ostensibly to the police station for further interrogation.
Watch the video below:
The picture shows a screenshot from the video. To watch the original video, please click the link in the source (below), if still available.
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.
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.
Also Ghana is not an exception to the gruesome reality of the widespread occurrence of ritualistic murders in SSA-countries, as I stated in one of my previous posts. Can anyone explain that to me? (webmaster FVDK).
Four Headless Bodies Uncovered In Shrine
To listen to the report click on the image in the original article (in Source, below)
Published: May 2, 2020 By: Modern Ghana
The fetish priests and a taxi driver have been picked up in a joint security operation, carried out by armed police and military personnel from Accra, for allegedly killing six people at their shrine.
The police have given the names of the fetish priests only as Power One, believed to be 40 years old, and Famous, 36.
The shrine of both spiritualists was also named ‘Power 1 Herbal & Spiritual Centre’ located at Adu Kwadwo, near Maame Dede in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region.
The taxi driver, identified as Allotey, was also grabbed for allegedly aiding the fetish priests in committing the alleged crime.
The suspected fetish priests and the driver are being held for ritual murder, fraud, and the production of fake currencies after the raid at the shrine last Thursday.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the shrine of both spiritualists was raided because the police suspected they had buried people there.
Upon their arrests, the police reportedly marched the suspects to spots where they suspected the remains had been buried, and the suspects allegedly pointed to those spots for the bodies to be exhumed.
The police retrieved fresh human head, skulls and other human parts tied in a polythene bag and they suspected it was to be used for sacrifice.
The suspects have been transferred to Accra along with the exhibits retrieved.
Two spiritualists at Adu Kwadwo Community near Maame Dede in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region have been busted by a joint team of Police and Military personnel.
The two fetish priests arrested are Power 1 and Scorpion.
They were arrested for alleged ritual murder and fraud and the production of fake currencies.
According to the report, the joint armed security team that carried out the operation has exhumed some two bodies.
Mybrytfmonline.com will provide detailed information about the operation as and when it unfolds.
