Kafaba Chief Seidu Yahaya, The victim being assaulted by Hajia Filipina, KILLED! Akua Denteh
The Savannah Regional Police Command has arrested the chief of the town where a 90-year-old woman, Akua Denteh, was lynched because a so-called soothsayer declared her a witch.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Enoch Adutwum Bediako, who confirmed the arrest to journalists, said the Chief of Kafaba, Seidu Yahaya, was yesterday picked up at the regional capital, Damongo, and was assisting the police to unravel the circumstances under which Ms. Denteh was killed.
“With the arrest of the chief, I know he will assist us in arresting the rest of the suspects,” DCOP Bediako said, adding “we are aware that the culprits have fled Kafaba. They can run but they can’t hide.”
Hajia Filipina
It is emerging that the so-called soothsayer, who ordered the lynching of the 90-year-old woman because of ‘witchcraft’, reportedly accused 17 other old women of being witches, and they were due to go through a similar ordeal.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the self-acclaimed soothsayer, who was reportedly accompanied by another person for the ‘operation’ at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality in the Savannah Region, which led to the death of Akua Denteh, was a lady who had been claiming to lead the ‘punishment’ for witchery in the town for some time.
The so-called soothsayer, whose name has been given as Hajia Filipina and her assistant, also a woman, were said to have been invited into the town and spent three days pointing out the ‘witches’, and Ms. Denteh was unfortunately the first to be ‘sentenced’ to death by the unscrupulous spiritualist last Thursday.
The families of the 17 women who were earmarked for lynching on the orders of Hajia Filipina were said to be living in fear due to the circumstances under which Ms. Denteh was killed.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that one of the 17 accused of witchery had been hospitalized after Hajia Filipina ‘tortured’ her to confess that she was a witch.
Key Suspects
Some names have started popping up as possible culprits in the murder case, but the police are still searching for them.
One Sanje, who is alleged to have hosted Hajia Filipina to facilitate her illegal ‘operations’, has been mentioned as well as one Aliu, a teacher.
Other suspects, mentioned as Bumaye, Ashley and Manafo, were also on police radar.
National Outrage
The death of Ms. Denteh has sparked national outrage, with messages of condemnation coming from all angles, including the President.
It is still unclear who invited the so-called soothsayer and her assistant to Kafaba, although Sanje’s name is being mentioned.
Cynical View
Some who spoke to DAILY GUIDE off record even claimed that Ms. Denteh ‘used’ her witchcraft to kill her first born and had ‘prevented’ her daughter from conceiving to give birth after marrying for over five years.
The youth even threatened that they would resist any attempt by the police to detain or arrest their chief when he honoured their invitation.
‘Holding’ Back Rainfall
Available information indicates the alleged ‘witches’, including Ms. Denteh, were accused by Filipina and her ilk of holding back rainfall in the area.
Her children, led by her son, Dominic Mahama, had forcefully denied that their mother was a witch as claimed by Filipina and her gang of killers.
Ms. Denteh reportedly left behind six children and 19 grandchildren.
President Speaks
President Akufo-Addo, who is touring the region where the incident occurred, has condemned outright the killing of the 90-year-old woman.
“I will make an appropriate contribution to the Ms. Denteh Foundation to express my own revulsion at the awful and tragic act that has occurred in this region,” the President said at Yapei where he was commissioning a water project.
“It is vital, as the regional minister said, that it should not happen again, and we should all work together to ensure that never again should such acts disfigure the face of our nation. I hope that the quick response of the police will lead to the rapid administration of justice in this unfortunate matter,” the President noted.
The Savannah Regional Minister, Salifu Braimah, for his part, assured the people of the region and the family that progress had been made towards the apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators of the inhumane act.
Dastardly Act
Ms. Denteh was openly beaten to death by the so-called soothsayer with the support of a mob in the community last Thursday.
The said soothsayer was brought into the community to allegedly cast out witchcraft and after some purported rituals, she labelled the 90-year-old woman and 17 other women as witches.
When the woman was informed, she denied being a witch and appealed to the soothsayer to spare her, but her plea fell on deaf ears.
The incident has sparked outrage forcing the security agencies to switch into action.
FROM Eric Kombat, Damongo