Grave looters are on the war path at the Nsawam public cemetery near Adoagyiri in the Akuapem South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
They have, in a brazen fashion, invaded the government cemetery, leaving their spoils scattered in various parts of the cemetery.
So far Public Agenda has discovered about 166 graves that have been looted, and judging by the method of their operations, there is a likelihood that they may continue with their repugnant activities in the coming days.
As at last week, the paper counted 96 graves that were being dug. Our visit to the cemetery on Wednesday January 18, 2012 showed again that 20 more had been dug, bringing the total to 166.
A feature which appeared striking was that the graves that were exhumed had inscriptions with dates between 1994 and 1997. Residents close to the cemetery are now living in a state of shock
The motive of the looters, according to residents, is difficult to fathom, but they suspect ritual purposes as only bones are targeted. Generally, looting has involved bodies being relieved of any valuable shrouds and cloths on them and which with some good cleaning are then put back on the marketplace. Precious artifacts such as gold and silver jewellery left on the departed have also proven to be a particularly attractive target.
It is believed that the looters operate at night with a device suspected to be a detector which is able to detect where a corpse is buried, then they go ahead with the exhumation.
The rate at which the looting is taking place has left traditional authorities and religious leaders bewildered and are desperately looking for measures to address the menace. According to them, a concerted effort was needed to find the perpetrators of the offence.
The Muslim community has decided to take the matter to Allah in prayer for him to descend his wrath on the looters. According to Alhaj Abdul Rahman Suleiman, a resident, for the over hundred years that the cemetery had existed news of grave looting had never been reported until recent times.
He believed that the looters might come from Nsawam Township and /or the neighbouring villages. "I don't think anybody from outside this town can just come to the cemetery and start digging," he said, adding, "the worm that eats the vegetable is behind the vegetable leaves." Nobody could however provide accurate information on the final destination of the harvested parts.
Ghanaians, he observed, revered the dead so much, it is heart breaking to visit the cemetery to find the remains of a loved one "resting in pieces" when it was meant to rest in peace.
Alhaji Suleiman suggested that there was the need for the Municipal Assembly to employ a watchman to man the cemetery at night.
Currently, there is only one person working at the cemetery as a labourer and caretaker who comes to the cemetery at 6:00am and closes at 6:00pm, meaning there is about 12 hours yawning gap during which the looting takes place.
The matter is currently before the Akuapem South Municipal Assembly but no solutions have yet been found.
When contacted for his comments, the Municipal Co-ordinating Director, Mr. Omar Amadu- Dabou, expressed much surprised about the situation, saying, "if people are doing it, then it is very unfortunate and sacrilegious." He, however, assured that the Assembly would as a matter of urgency device measures to deal with the problem.
According to him, there had earlier been some suggestions from different quarters; among them was the proposition to have a wall constructed around the cemetery and also to form a watch committee for the cemetery. "What we are doing now is to revamp the watchdog committees in the various communities in order to provide security for the cemetery," he disclosed.
The Assembly is also exploring opportunities for collaboration with the Police to curb the crime. "We are hoping to collaborate with the Police to stem the tide, while at the same time, sensitizing the people to report any suspect to the authorities or the Police for the necessary investigations."
