Why 90-year-old alleged witch was lynched

Latest information emanating from Kafaba in the Gonja East District of the Savanna Region indicates that the suspected 90-year-old woman, who was accused of witchcraft and lynched, was accused of being behind lack of rains in the area.

The report indicates that the 90-year-old woman was among other 17 women who were tortured over alleged witchcraft but she failed to confess or admit.

The 90-year-old woman, who was accused of witchcraft and lynched by a soothsayer and her accomplices, has since been laid to rest in Salaga.

The body was released to the family for burial after an autopsy was conducted on her at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The late Denteh Akua was lynched at the instance of the soothsayer and her accomplices who were invited into Kafaba to identify witches.

In a video intercepted by Onua TV and TV3, the deceased was seen being lashed and tortured by two women while others looked on.

Police in Salaga have since commenced investigation into the matter even though no arrests have been made.

Several individuals and institutions have condemned the act.

The Chief of Kafaba, Seidu Yahaya, has since denied sanctioning the invitation of the alleged spiritualist into the community.

Speaking on Onua TV’s Maakye hosted by Bright Kwasi Asempa and Adwoa Konadu-Yiadom, Savannah Region reporter Christopher Amoako explained that the late woman was accused of being behind lack of rainfall in the area and that was why she was lynched.

He said she and other 17 women were tortured in one night but the rest admitted being witches but this very woman refused to admit, hence the lynch.

“This woman has been tortured for long but she refused. They wanted her to admit she was a witch but she did not,” he explained in Twi.

“[The alleged witches] are all elderly women and one was also tortured and was brought to the Salaga hospital.”

Asked whether it had rained after the murder of the late woman, Christopher said: ‘It has not rain”.