The Accra Regional Police Command is on a manhunt for persons involved in the exhumation of the body of a 49 year old man buried a week ago at Boi Cemetery , Abokobi Accra.
The late Theophilus Budu, died on May 10, 2021 and was buried the following day, after suffering an ailment for about three months.
However, his body was later discovered lying in an open casket near the grave the following day.
The Accra Regional Police Public Relations officer, DSP Effia Tenge said on May 11, 2021, around 3:30pm Police received information that some persons believed to have hailed from Abokobi-Akporman had gone to the Abokobi- Boi public cemetery and buried one Theophilus Budu, who died on 10th May, 2021 after suffering an ailment for about three months.
She said the Abokobi Police proceeded to the scene to confirm the report but the following day, at about 5am Police again received a report that the casket with the body of the deceased had been exhumed from the grave and placed outside by unknown persons.
“Preliminary investigations showed that the exhumation followed an alleged long-standing land litigation between Abokobi-Akporman and the Abokobi-Boi Families.
“We gathered that one of the factions in the said land dispute had allegedly claimed that the cemetery land belonged to their family and therefore, did not want anyone from the other faction to bury their dead on their land,” she said.
DSP Tenge continued that Police personnel were dispatched to the cemetery and confirmed that a body had been exhumated from its grave.
“The casket with the body was conveyed to the Police hospital mortuary, pending an autopsy,” she added.
She said the Ga East Municipal Assembly was informed of the exhumation and together with the Police , both parties in the said land dispute have been invited to assist Police in investigations.
she added that the police were yet to ascertain whether the exhumation of the body was caried out as a result of the said protracted land dispute.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey