In Ghana, on average at least 16 ritual murders occur each year. Every fortnight, a family mourns the death of a loved one who lost his or her life because of the wickedness, unscrupulousness and the belief in witchcraft of the perpetrator(s) who search power, prestige, wealth or good health by committing a ritual murder.
The National Head Pastor of the 7th Day Pentecostal Church, Elder Enoch Ofori Jr., addressed a large crowd at the end of December (2022), condemning ritualistic practices and calling on the government to apply the rule of law. The meeting was organized by the 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies and was held in the Ashanti Region (Central Region). In particular, the reverend minister cited the notorious Mankessim ritual murder case which occurred in the Central Region last year. I’ve reported on this ritual murder case on various occasions (see my postings dated September 27, September 30, and October 1, October 2 and October 3).
Elder Enoch Oforu is to be commended for raising his voice against the ugly practice of ritualistic killings in the country. His condemnation is even more important as he spoke at a meeting which was attended by the entire 25 branch churches across the country. (webmaster FVDK).
Rev Minister calls for effective enforcement of laws on ritual murders
Published: January 3, 2023 By: King Amoah – Modern Ghana
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 However, this should not be interpreted as condoning or justifying cruel, criminal and outdated rites nowadays, in the 21st century.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.
On September 29, the late Georgina Asor Botchway was laid to rest. Hundreds of people at Yeji in the Bono East Region went to her family home to mourn. Please see the original articles (below follows the link) to watch all photographs of this impressive ceremony. For technical reasons I have only included a few photos. (webmaster FVDK)
The victim, Georgina Asor Botchwey, a student nurse who was brutally murdered for ritualistic purposes
Mankessim murder: Accused persons allegedly confess to killing 2 more people
The ritual murder suspects Christopher Ekow Quansah, the Tufuhen of Mankessim, and self-styled pastor Michael Darko, who allegedly murdered Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey.
Published: September 30, 2022 By: GNA
Hundreds of people on Thursday gathered in front of the house of Christopher Ekow Quansah, the Tufuhen of Mankessim, to catch a glimpse of him and self-styled pastor Michael Darko, who allegedly murdered one Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey.
A police team had led the two accused persons, who allegedly confessed to the killing of two more people, to the house of the Tufohen, located just after the Pacific Fuel Station, near the Mankessim Lorry Station for further investigations.
The crowd hooted at them amid name calling and casting of aspersions as drivers in traffic temporarily stopped over to watch the two, who have notoriously become famous.
A source told the GNA that the two accused persons had confessed to killing three other people, a male and two females and led the police team on Thursday afternoon, to the various locations.
The witness said the accused persons first took the team to the house of the Tufohen at Mankessim and Akwakrom near Mankessim, where they carried out their criminal activities.
The police thoroughly searched the rooms and took vital documents and information for further investigation.
Again, in Mankessim, the two took the police team to a location where a male teacher was allegedly invited by them and was shot and killed instantly and his toes cut.
The police were also taken to a location in the Ekumfi District where they allegedly shot and killed a female trader and buried her under a bridge in the Ekumfi District.
The team also visited a location at Batanya in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamakese District, where they allegedly killed a young lady from Kumasi.
Apparently, the two pretended to be travel agents and prepared a traveling document for her to travel to Holland.
The two allegedly told the police that they met the lady at Batanyaa on the Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Highway and killed her.
The family of the deceased, who were at the mortuary in Cape Coast on Thursday afternoon, identified the body of their relative.
Meanwhile, a crack team of police personnel from the Central Regional Command were also led by the accused persons to arrest a 26-year-old mason in Mankessim, in connection with the alleged murder.
Sources, who did not want to be identified, told the Ghana News Agency that they saw the third suspect being whisked away and identified him as one Abbey, the in-law of Quansah.
According to the sources, Quansah, confessed to having hired the husband of one Esi Akyere to dig the pit in his houses at Mankessim.
Following the revelation, the police swiftly moved to the community and with the backing of the chiefs arrested Abbey, who initially denied the act but later admitted to digging the pit for GHs50.
According to Abbey, who is also one of the leaders of the Youth Volunteer Group in the community, the Tufohen paid him the agreed amount in installments of GHs20 and GHs30 respectively after the work.
Baffled by the revelation of the suspect, the sources said, the chiefs assembled all the members of the Youth Volunteer Group and impressed on them to confess if they were complicit in the murder case, but they all denied any knowledge of it.
The sources also said police personnel had been stationed at the deserted family house of the Tufohen where two dugout holes were found in two obscure and dirty separate rooms while it had also intensified patrols.
Earlier, Nana Alma Ill, the Chief of Akwakrom, at a press conference, called for the arrest and inquiry into the activities of a fetish priest in the community and one Mr. Kwesi Gyan, the Abiradze Ebusuapayin of the Tufohen who could not be tracked since the news broke out.
“We are appealing to the police to interrogate his fetish priest in the community who the Tufohen liked so much and took cover prior to his arrest,” Nana Akwa pleaded.
Nana Akwa, who is also a legal practitioner, wondered how the Tufohen dug the craters containing numerous bottles and dead materials without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin.
“Since the arrest of the Tufohen, all attempts to reach his Ebusuapanyin, who was always in the community, has not been successful. There is no way anyone can dig out two pits in two separate rooms in a family house without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin. This is incomprehensible.
“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.
In pictures: Tears flow as murdered nurse applicant’s body arrives in her hometown
To listen to listen to this article, please click here‘Georgina Botchway returns home….’
Published: September 30, 2022 By: MyJoy Online
Hundreds of people at Yeji in the Bono East Region have thronged the family home of Georgina Botchwey, the aspiring nurse trainee who was murdered in Mankessim.
Screenshot – To watch the video on YouTube, please click here
The victim is alleged to have kidnapped, sexually assaulted, killed and buried in an uncompleted storey building for ritual purposes.
A self-styled pastor, Michael Darko, and the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah were subsequently arrested in connection to the crime and remanded into police custody.
Per customs, the police have released Miss Botchwey’s body to her family and it was transported back to Yeji in the Bono Region for burial.
Upon her return, mourners have taken to the home of the deceased to mourn her death.
Background
According to police reports, Miss Botchwey arrived in Cape Coast on Thursday, September 8, to seek admission to the Ankaful Psychiatric Nursing School.
She called the pastor and informed him about his presence in the Central region and her mission.
The self-styled pastor who was the boyfriend of the sister of the deceased, informed her he will pick her up after the interview.
Unbeknownst to the deceased, the pastor had connived with the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom to kidnap and sexually assault her.
The two suspects then killed her and buried her in the kitchen of one of the chief’s apartments.
The news was widespread in the Central Region town that the deceased has gone missing for three weeks.
The notice circulating read, “Georgina Botchwey went for an interview at Cape Coast on Wednesday and up till now she cannot be found; her phone is off. Please, anybody with information about her should call 0208503126 or 0247048711.”
Following this notice, a friend of the deceased raised an alarm about Georgina meeting with her sister’s boyfriend.
The pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He subsequently led the police to the residence where Georgina had been buried and her body was exhumed.
Meanwhile, the chief who fled after reports of the arrest of his accomplice has been arrested.
Tears flow as family holds burial ceremony for victim of Mankessim ritual murder
Georgina Asor Botchwey was laid to rest on September 29
Published: September 30, 2022 By: Ghana Web
RIP Georgina Asor Botchwey, who was mùrdèred by Chief and Pastor finally Buried, Mother almost Collapsed Screenshot – To watch the video please click here
Warning: the following article’s graphic content may upset some readers.
Yesterday I reported on four recent ritual murder cases in Ghana, one of them being the killing for ritualistic purposes of a young lady, Georgina Asor Botchwey, a student nurse, at Mankessim, in the Central Region.
The murder took place on September 9 of this year. Two suspects have been arrested. The suspects are a self-styled pastor Michael Darko, 48; and the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom Christopher Ekow Quansah, 65, who reportedly kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried the victim.
Screenshot – click here to watch the YouTube video
The Ghanaian police is to be commended for its swift action. We will follow closely subsequent events. (webmaster FVDK)
Suspects Confess To Ritual Killing In Mankessim Murder
Published: September 23, 2022 By: Gloria Kafu Ahiable – The Ghana Report
Two suspects involved in the murder of a student nurse at Mankessim in the Central Region have admitted to killing the victim for ritual purposes.
The suspects, a self-styled pastor Michael Darko, 48; and the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom Christopher Ekow Quansah, 65, reportedly kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried the victim.
The police said the two confessed to “murdering the victim for money rituals.”
“During police interrogation, suspect Michael Darko, who is the alleged boyfriend of the senior sister of the deceased victim and was last seen with her, led police to the location where they had buried her after the murder.”
The body has since been exhumed and deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
Meanwhile, the two accused persons were hauled before the District Court II in Cape Coast to respond to their crime on 22 September 2022.
They were remanded in police custody by the Cape Coast Court to reappear on 4 October 2022.
Both have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960, Act 29.
What happened to the student nurse
The student nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey, was allegedly kidnapped, killed and secretly buried by the chief and the pastor in the chief’s house at Mankessim.
The victim, 25, is said to have gone for an interview at the Ankaful Nursing Training College when the pastor, who happens to be her sister’s boyfriend, invited her for a meeting.
After the interview, the victim set off to meet her soon‐to‐be brother‐in‐law. Little did she know a trap had been set before she arrived in Cape Coast on 8 September 2022.
The self-styled pastor had conspired with the chief, who is the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom, to kidnap and sexually assault her.
On 9 September 2022, the accused persons picked the victim up in a Taxi at the Ankaful Hospital Pedu junction in Cape Coast.
They then took her to an uncompleted building belonging to the chief, where they had dug a hole in preparation for the ritual.
The chief is said to have hit the deceased with a club, and when she fell, her sister’s boyfriend dragged her by the feet while the chief held her neck till she died.
Meanwhile, news that the deceased had been missing for three weeks began to spread in the Mankessim after she failed to return home after the interview.
A notice in circulation read:
“Georgina Botchwey went for an interview at Cape Coast on Wednesday, and up till now, she cannot be found; her phone is off. Please, anybody with information about her should call 0208503126 or 0247048711.”
Following this notice, a friend of the deceased raised an alarm about Georgina meeting with her sister’s boyfriend.
Shortly after the tip-off, the pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He subsequently led the police to the residence where Georgina had been buried, and her body was exhumed.
The family of the murdered student nurse later disclosed that the suspects initially demanded a ransom from them.
According to Georgina Asor Botchwey’s relatives, the pastor and his accomplice had demanded that they pay GH¢15,000 for her release.
Unfortunately, the family could not raise the said amount.
Ghana’s reputation abroad is one of a stable democracy, with a relative healthy economy, albeit plagued by problems which are characteristic for a developing economy: low incomes, lack of jobs, shortage of capital, to name but a few.
However, there is another Ghana, a traditional Ghana, where people believe in the power of ‘juju’, in superstition, and where criminal people do not hesitate to attack their fellow countrymen for the purposes of ritualistic activities, even if this means that the victims die in the hands of their torturers and murderers.
The four cases cited below illustrate this. The ritualistic murders took place in various parts of the country.
In the past I have given ample attention to the Kasoa case which occurred to the west of the country’s capital Accra (Greater Accra region). All murder cases are tragic but the Kasoa case even more because of the background of the young murderers. The Abesim murder which made two victims, two boys of 12 and 15 years old, took place in the Brong Ahafo Region. The Mankassim murder case is situated in Ghana’s Central Region (Ashanti Region), between Cape Coast and Winneba. I will report more on this case in the next few days. Finally, the gruesome ritualistic murder in Wa, in the Upper West Region.
Tthe reader is warned that the graphic details of the murder(s) may be shocking. (webmaster FVDK)
Four recent ritual murder cases: Abesim, Kasoa, Mankessim, Wa
