Traditional religion in Ghana has been linked to human rights abuse on account of the widely-held belief that through the use of human parts, rituals could be performed to affect the material circumstances of the individual making the request.
Consequently, some individuals were killed for purposes that must have been related to the performance of rituals.
The circumstances surrounding certain killings that occurred, and the way the dead bodies were found, lent credence to the suspicion that they were not ordinary murders.
Very often the bodies were found mutilated with some vital parts missing.
A number of murder cases reported in some parts of Ghana in the 1980s fall into this category.
For instance, in January, 1981, the body of Kingsley Ackaah, alias Kwame Kaya, a fifteen-year-old schoolboy and native of Baakrom near Sefwi Bekwai, was found without his head.
Again, in November, 1981, the body of nine-year old Kwasi Gyimah was found at the outskirts of Sefwi Bekwai without his head .
Similarly, in November, 1984, Kwaku Nkrumah, a sixty five-year old palm wine tapper of Sefwi Bekwai, was found dead in the bush without his head.
Also, in May, 1986, thirteen-year old Akwasi Ampomaning, a schoolboy from Sukusuku near Sefwi Bekwai was found dead with his arms missing.
Again, Kumade Mensah Zormelo was killed for a sacrifice that is required annually, in accordance with traditional practices, to enable the fishermen of Kedzi, to have bumper fishing season.
All these killings are believed to have been committed to serve ritual purposes.
There is also the quest for wealth. For this reason, there are some people who believe that through the use of juju, their state of poverty can change for the better.
Thus, with the hope of becoming rich overnight, the drive to commit ritual murder has been noted among certain categories of persons.
In one murder case, which took place in Sefwi Bekwai in the Western Region of Ghana, the killers were the victim’s uncle and three other men, who were promised a reward of an amount of c3 million as “contract fee”.
Similarly, the Chief, Nana Agyei who was charged together with the killers, was said to have been the one who requested a human head, to send to a shrine located along the Ghana – Côte d’Ivoire border in the Western Region for it to be changed into cash.
There are two main categories of perpetrators – namely, those who hire the services of others to do the killing on their behalf, and those who do the killing themselves.
Many a time, the people who are arrested or charged on murder cases appear to be poor people, struggling to make ends meet.
They are hired by the well-to- do in society to do the killing on their behalf, such as the case of the Sefwi Bekwai murder case.
Nana Agyei, one of the culprits, was said to have engaged the services of the four others charged, in return for a certain amount of money, if the plan was well executed.
In other instances, the well-to-do actually took part in the ritual killing.
Some fetish priests and herbalists are also believed to be involved in ritual murder.
Some fetish priests have been accused of using human body parts and blood to prepare juju for their clients. Where these body parts and blood were secured from, is yet to be ascertained.
However, one of the rumoured charges against some traditional priests tortured and killed in the Volta Region, was the allegation of murder against them.
In April, 1982, for instance, soldiers arrested Avorga Ahiagba of Wlite near Akatsi, for possessing human skulls.
He was alleged to have pleaded that the skulls were ancestral property. Possessing no other evidence to the contrary, the court fined him ¢700.00.
Subsequently, Ahiagba mysteriously disappeared, after his release from prison-custody, but was later found dead with his body partially burnt, near the Ho stadium.
In all the known ritual murders tried in the courts, women have been conspicuously missing in the list of alleged perpetrators.
There was, however, one instance in which a woman was involved, and in which the victim was a woman.
One other fact that also needs to be mentioned is that some of the perpetrators either know their victims or have close blood relations with them.
In the case of Kofi Kyinto in the Sefwi Bekwai murder case, it was his uncle, Benjamin Affi, a 28-year old farmer, who lured him to be killed. Benjamin Affi witnessed the actual execution of his nephew.
Also, on 23th February, 1988, Nana Twene, Krontihene of Abesim, and his wife, Susana Ameyaa, together with four others at Abesim near Sunyani, in the Brong Ahafo Region , kidnapped and murdered a 38-year old housewife, Madam Lamley Sampah.
During the trial by the tribunal sitting in Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana, it was revealed, inter alia that, the Krontihene wanted the blood and some body parts of the named victim to enable him secure power, so that, no one could challenge him when he spoke.
Then there is the chilling stories of Dr. Yoggi Ram Beckley the occultic psychic who was linked to sensational allegations of missing schoolchildren in 1994 following the discovery of blood stained skulls and other strange cabalistic items in his house.
When he was finally arrested, at his New Fadama residence, his house was burnt down by an angry mob in the area.
He resurfaced again in Gbawe in 2002 and kidnapped another 13-year-old girl and her friend.
He tied one to a tree and dragged the other girl to his room.
The girl tied to the tree called for help and passersby rescued her.
When the matter finally got to the police, his house was searched but they never found the girl that was dragged to his room.
His house was again burnt to the ground by an angry mob.
Berkeley still remains a free old man after years of ritualistic killings.
It is believed the famous ritualist was in bed with government of Rawlings under the NDC so no matter how many times he was arrested, he was always freed!
But that is the mystery for there is no hard evidence Pointing to that fact!
In the late 1990s there was what was called “The Accra Killings” which involved the killing of only women mostly at an area called Mataheko.
Victims were usually found naked, drained of their blood and in supine positions. The real culprits behind these murders were never discovered.
