Police Commander warns soothsayers, witch doctors

The Bongo District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Paul Archibald Ankan, has warned people perceived to be soothsayers and witch doctors to stop threatening innocent ones.

The District Police Commander, who issued the warning during the maiden Police-Community Forum at Bongo, regretted that such acts had led to the lynching of many innocent people, particularly the elderly, or banished from the community.

He emphasized that there was no empirical evidence in Ghana’s laws to prove that some people possessed witchcraft, and therefore warned those perpetuating such crimes to desist from it.

ASP Ankan disclosed that since his assumption of office in the area, he had so far prosecuted two persons of such cases who had pronounced witchcraft on innocent persons, thus either leading to physical attacks on the victims or their banishment from their communities.

Giving the general overview of crime cases in the district, the Commander disclosed that from January to June this year, assault cases ranked the highest.

He mentioned stealing as the second highest of reported cases followed by the pronouncement of witchcraft on innocent citizens by soothsayers, road traffic offences including indiscriminate parking of motor bikes along edges of the streets, and the use of unlicensed motor bikes .

The Commander reminded the gathering that policing was a shared responsibility, and appealed to them to readily assist police officers in the discharge of their duties, especially during arrests.

He said the District Police Command in collaboration with the District Assembly would continue to organize educational fora to sensitize the public on the need to support the police in combating crime and maintaining peace, as well as protecting life and property.

He urged the general public to take charge of their personal security, and to report any criminal activities to the police for appropriate action.

The Bongo District Chief Executive, Mr Alexis Ayamdor Adugda, commended the District Police Command for organizing such a forum and gave the assurance that as Chairman of the District Security Council, he would ensure that the Assembly continued to give the Police the maximum support to help maintain law and order.

The Paramount Chief of Bongo, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyaarum, who chaired the function, attended by heads of decentralized departments, past assembly members, youth groups and representatives of various business associations in the district, reiterated the need for the public to support the Police in combating crime.