Dear GhanaWeb: We sacrificed our friend for wealth

Dear GhanaWeb,

There were four of us living together in a single-room self-contained apartment. We were all young women trying to survive, so we shared the rent and bills equally.

To make money, we did hookups. We were selective, though. We did not go with just any man unless he was wealthy and persistent enough to make it worth our time.

That was our lifestyle until one of my roommates suggested something she believed would change our lives forever.

She told us she knew a woman who could help us “bind” rich men so they would become obsessed with us and spend money on us without hesitation. According to her, this was how many women became wealthy overnight.

We were intrigued. The woman arranged for us to travel to northern Nigeria to meet a spiritualist.

When we arrived, we went through a series of rituals for three days.

We bathed in a lake, ate strange foods, and were instructed to sleep with certain men. We did many things we did not fully understand, but we were determined to complete the process.

On the fourth day, everything changed.

We were told that not all four of us could return to Ghana. One person had to be sacrificed.

At first, we all refused.

We said we wanted no part in it and demanded to go home. But the spiritualist told us there were only two options: one of us would be sacrificed, or all of us would die.

I stopped eating and sleeping. I was terrified that my friends might choose me. We all became suspicious of one another, each trying to stay alive.

Then, without my knowledge, two of the girls made a decision.

They offered up the quietest and most innocent among us. She was taken away, and we never saw her again. We were told she had been used for the ritual.

We returned to Ghana and continued with our lives as though nothing had happened.

The charm appeared to work. Men became unusually attached to us and did whatever we asked. Our financial situation improved dramatically. We went from struggling to living comfortably.

Later, a missing-person poster for our friend began circulating, but she was never found. My friends insist that we had no choice and that we were all victims of deception.

Part of me understands that. But another part of me is haunted by the truth. An innocent friend lost her life, and we are now enjoying the benefits.

I have money now, but I no longer have peace of mind. Every night, I think about her family, who are still waiting and hoping that one day she will return.

I often wonder whether I should tell them what really happened so they can finally have closure.

Should I confess the truth to her family, even if it means destroying the life I have built and implicating everyone involved? What do I do now?

FG/EB

'Shoulder' carries Medikal to the top of the 27th TGMAs with 4 awards