3 sisters die in Koforidua

The Eastern regional capital, Koforidua became a scene of great grief yesterday when the bodies of three sisters from Aburi who died mysteriously three weeks after returning from a youth camp, were transported to the town for burial.

The Apostolic Church of Ghana, where the three young ladies worshipped was literally shaken to its foundation as the entire leadership of the church, which was overawed by the event, trooped to the Eastern region assembly in Koforidua for the burial service. The bodies of the three sisters, aged between 17 and 20, were brought to Koforidua for burial following a 40-day ban on drumming, noise-making and funeral at Aburi that normally precedes the Odwira festival in the town.

The festival is expected to take place in the middle of next month. The circumstances leading to the mysterious death of the sisters, including a set of twins, spread like a wild fire in the Koforidua municipality, drawing a huge crowd from all corners of the town to the premises of the church where they had all been laid in state for the burial service.

Two of the sisters died on the same day while the other died five days earlier.Sympathizers including some pastors could not hold back their tears when they saw the three sisters lying in state. When the caskets containing their mortal remains were being carried to the cemetery, the roof of the church nearly came down, with spontaneous wailing from the church members.

The only living sister of the deceased, who is about 14 years old, had to be heavily protected and comforted. It was however visible that she was very terrified and traumatized during the entire burial service of the sisters.

Both parents of the deceased, who are in their late forties, are natives of Aburi where they live with their children.The 17-year-old twins, Julian Opoku Nsiah and Juliet Opoku Nsiah, attended SDA Senior High School at Ashanti Agona while their 20-year-old elder sister, Josephine Opoku Nsiah, was about entering the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi after completing Adonten Senior High School at Aburi.

The mysterious deaths sparked a series of speculations trying to explain the deaths while occurred in less than a week. Some alleged that it could be a spell on the family while others said the children were bewitched.

Juliet Opoku Nsiah, the younger of the twins, was said to have complained about pains all over the body after ‘something’ allegedly struck her neck like somebody had hit her with a stick The sickness got serious and she was taken to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Mampong-Akuapem, from where she was later referred to the regional hospital in Koforidua.

She died on September 4, a few days after admission. Five days after Juliet’s death, the elder sister, Josephine complained of a similar ailment and died on the same day when she was taken to Tetteh Quarshie Hospital. About two hours after the death of Josephine, Juliana was said to have collapsed but was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital on the same day.

The National President of the church, Apostle John Annan Adotey, and other members of the clergy as well as the laity, attended the funeral of the three sisters who were said to be very religious. Josephine was said to be a very respectful Sunday school teacher. Juliet and Juliana were said to be very prayerful members of the Aburi Apostolic Sunday School and were also part of the Marvelous Singers at Aburi. “As identical twins, they had peculiar life activities like using one mobile phone, sleeping on the same bed and agreeing upon a question before they gave an answer,” a tribute in their name said.

A thanksgiving service is expected to be held for the three on October 3 this year at the Aburi Apostolic Church.