Instant justice deserves 'instant halting' - Sisters Keepers to Gonja chiefs

A non profit women's charity group, Sisters Keepers, has called on the traditional authority in East Gonja to sanction any group or individual that will take the laws into their own hands to seek instant justice.

According to the group, mob action as a method of punishing 'offenders' is unacceptable and that people who involved themselves in the act ought to be halted before the court to face full rigorous of the laws.

The group made this call when they visited the bereaved family of the 90-year-old woman, Skua Denteh, who was lynched in Kafaba, to commiserate with them.

They condemned the act of subjecting the aged, especially old women to abuses and torture.

The lynching of Akua Denteh has met with both local and international condemnation.

Government, NGO's, Civil Society groups and associations have all condemned it with others visiting the area.

While in Kafaba, the Charity Director of the Ghana Chapter of the Sisters Keepers Association, Hajia Fauzia Karim appealed to the traditional overlord of the area to sanction persons who take the laws into their own hands to abuse their fellow humans.

"Traditional authorities have a key role to play in this fight and for us as an organization, we believe it is time for the overlord of the area to put in place severe sanctions for those who abuse women be it their family orr not", she said.

She called for more education on human rights violations adding that, old age comes with dementia.

"At a certain age, dementia sets in and one behaves strangely which many misconstrued for witchery", Hajia Fauzia said.

On her part, the Head of Communications of the Association, Abena Pokua Ahwenee assured members of the community, the Association will organize community sensitization in November.

The team then visited the Kpembewura Banbagne Ndefeso IV at his palace in Kpembe.

The family, however, refuted claims by Latifa Bumaye that, the late Skua Denteh was her grandmother.

Latifa Bumaye, who was seen flogging the old woman, claimed in a viral video that, the deceased was her grandmother and that she was possessed.

But, spokesperson for the family, Salami Mahama said the claims were false and unfortunate.

"She is no where related to us, we don't know her and so she should stop peddling the lies", he refuted.

He added that he is happy the police has been able to effect some arrest and called on the police not to relent in their efforts to apprehend the others.

Arrest

So far, 6 suspects, including Latifa Bumaye have since been arrested. 5 of them, all male, have been remanded into police custody by the Bole Magistrate court.

Latifa Bumaye who was arrested on Friday, July 31, is expected to appear before the court on Monday August 4.

The spiritualist, Hajia Felina is still at large.