The tragic incidents occurred on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
According to Graphic Online, the soothsayer was consulted over the illness of a woman in the community, and he accused the now-deceased, Imoro Safura, 40, a mother of seven and Mba Cherefo of being behind the ill woman’s predicament.
The state-owned news portal reported that some irate youth of the community stormed Safura’s house to attack her. She then ran to seek refuge at the chief’s palace but was overpowered and lynched in the process.
As if that was barbaric enough, the lawless youth again pursued Cherefo and reportedly killed him at his residence.
The unfortunate developments have sparked widespread condemnation, with the Regional Re-integration Committee of Alleged Witches calling for an urgent investigation to bring the perpetrators to book.
Lamnatu Adams, the Executive Director of Songtaba spoke on behalf of the committee. She described the developments as clear cases of murder which should be handled swiftly without any interference.
The extrajudicial killing of people accused of witchcraft is a thorny issue that Ghana is grappling with, especially in the northern parts of the country. In July 2020, a 90-year-old woman, Akua Dentah was lynched at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality in the Savannah Region following witchcraft accusations.
Meanwhile, there is currently an Anti-Witchcraft Bill in parliament which seeks to criminalise witchcraft and other related offences.
The proposed Witchcraft Bill includes the prohibition of professional witchcraft or wizardry, prohibition against the accusation of witchcraft, participation in the declaration of a person as a witch or wizard, and a penalty against the chief or headman encouraging witchcraft.
A police investigation has commenced into the latest incidents.