|
Two
arrested for suspected ritual murder
Agbozume (VR), Dec. 10, Ghanadot/GNA- The police at Agbozume
have arrested two people suspected of murdering Ametornawo
Gagba, a 78-year-old widow at Deme near Dzodze in the Ketu
District of the Volta Region, for ritual purposes.
They are Kwasi Esri Gbadagba, a 37-year-old fisherman, a
former tenant of the deceased and Kwaku Adza a 27-year-old
tailor.
Mr. Salah Sylvanus Kudoloh, Assistant Superintendent of
Police in-charge of Agbozume Area confirmed the story but
declined to give details, saying investigations were
on-going.
Gbadagba's wife, Akpene Gbadagba and Gbadagba's cousin
Wusagba Gbadagba, who are suspected accomplices in the
crime, are on the run.
The suspects allegedly removed the hands, legs, breasts,
head, and private parts of the victim and siphoned into a
pot, blood that oozed as they slit her throat.
They also allegedly used part of the body parts and the
blood in performing rituals at an area near Anloga, where
they were resident, to enable them to make bumper catch
during their fishing expedition and also to fortify
themselves spiritually.
The police have since exhumed the decomposed body of the
deceased, from a shallow grave at her compound at Deme and
released it to her family for burial after autopsy at the
Police Hospital in Accra.
Police sources at Agbozume told the GNA that the deceased,
who lived alone at an isolated cottage at Deme, was missing
in November this year, leading to days of search for her by
residents of the main village for days without any result.
The sources said on November 23 this year, some residents
found a shallow grave at the deceased's compound, with flies
hovering over the place.
They informed the police, who ordered that the grave should
be opened, leading to the discovery of the decomposed body
of the deceased without the body parts.
Upon a tip-off, the police sources said on December 4, this
year, Gbadagba was arrested at a hideout at Klikor near
Agbozume, and after admitting his complicity in the crime he
led the police to Aklavime near Anloga where Adza was also
arrested.
The two, the police sources said, led the investigators to a
spot near a palm tree at Latame, also near Anloga, where the
police removed some of the body parts and a pot containing
blood, all of which the suspects buried after the rituals.
During a further search, part of the deceased clothes were
found with Adza, who claimed they were brought to him by
Gbadagba to be sown for him and finally said he Adza was not
involved in the murder.
Meanwhile, a silver bowl and a basket, both of which
belonged to the victim and which the group allegedly used in
conveying the body parts and her personal belongings, were
found with Adza, who Gbasagba insisted was involved in the
planning and execution of the plan.
The police said they established that Gbadagba who stayed
briefly with the victim in her house at Deme was the
architect of the plot.
Gbadagba and Adza were to be put before court soon on a
provisional charge of murder.
GNA
|
