Bongo District Assembly to deal with witch-hunting and lynching

Bongo (UE), August 22, GNA - The Bongo District Assembly in the Upper East Region and the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaarom, are to collaborate to deal with the lynching of innocent people suspected to be wizards and witches. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, in an interview in Bongo, the Presiding Member of the Bongo District Assembly, Mr. Emmanuel Nsor-Atindana expressed worry about the situation saying most the victims were the vulnerable, especially, old people with no relations to cater for them.

To help stop the crime, the Bongo District Assembly is forming Justice and Security Sub-Committees made up of the Police, Judiciary, Traditional Authority and some assembly members to sensitize the people.

Mr. Nsor-Atindana stressed the need for the law enforcement agencies to deal drastically with people who kill others merely on suspicion of witchcraft. He explained that some people in the area claim to possess powers that identify witches through their gods thus encouraging witch-hunting.

He expressed regret that the Justice System in the region was not prosecuting the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others. He pointed out that if the situation was not curbed immediately it would become the order of the day with so many of these incidents going unreported in the remotest parts of the district. The Paramount Chief of Bongo warned the people to desist from the practice and emphasized that such heinous crimes would not be permitted in the area and offenders not be spared. 22 Aug 09