Ritual murder hits Koforidua

Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, has directed the Regional Police Command to provide security for Asenema, a farming community and a market centre on the Koforidua, to ensure that peace is restored in the area, following a clash between two rival factions.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo gave the directive when he led members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to meet with the elders and people of Asenema and Adukrom on Monday, May 3.

The meeting followed a fight among supporters of a local fetish priest and some members of the community who suspected him of being behind a ritual murder.

The Regional Minister called on the police to investigate the case and ensure that anybody who had engaged in any criminal act is made to face the law.

He appealed to members of the community to exercise restraint and allow the security agencies to do their work.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo advised them to volunteer information to the police to facilitate their work.

He asked the traditional authorities not to shield people, who commit crime, which he noted could lead to further acts of lawlessness.

Nana Otutu Kono, Adukromhene, the Overlord of the place, called on the people to live in peace with one another.

Explaining the cause of the disturbance to REGSEC, Opanyin Yaw Odami, an elder of the community, claimed that about a year ago the people suspected that a three-year-old-boy who went missing was killed for rituals by the fetish priest, simply referred to as Coffie.

Opanyin Odami said three weeks later, the decomposing body of the child was found in the bush with some parts missing.

He said the corpse had not been buried since the case was under investigations.

Opanyin Odami said a few days ago a member of the community saw one of the young men who worked at the shrine of Coffie offering a piece of bread to a six- year old cousin of the deceased.

A family member of the girl who did not take the action lightly questioned the young man why he should offer the gift to the girl and this degenerated into a quarrel.

Coffie who was out of town was contacted on phone by his boys and thereby marshalled some people to confront the family.

The fetish priest who was in the company of the police and a gang later returned to the community to take his family and belongings out of the place.

This led to a clash between the gang and members of the community, which resulted in four people sustaining of cutlass wounds.

The police however managed to escort the fetish priest and his family out of the community.

The compound of Coffie was invaded by some members of the community who destroyed his house and set his shrine ablaze.

The police have since arrested two people to help them in their investigations.