In a shocking incident in the Western Region, the Ahanta West Municipal Police Command has arrested an assembly member and five others for allegedly tying a 60-year-old man, Isaac Ansah, to a tree and setting him on fire until he died.
The incident took place at Achonwa, where Ansah, suspected of submitting names for rituals to a chief priest, was brutally killed last Thursday.
Isaac Ansah, also known as Joe Joe, faced a mob at Achonwa Palace, who accused him of giving the names of 14 residents to a chief priest for sacrifices.
The suspects, including the Caretaker Chief of Achonwa, Nana Ojundi, and assembly member Godfred Cudjoe, are now in police custody, assisting with investigations.
The police have confirmed these arrests to the Ghanaian Times.
Frank Eshun, the deceased’s nephew, recounted the events, stating that at about 6:30 pm on Thursday, community members brought Ansah from Dixcove to Nana Ojundi’s Palace.
There, they confronted him about the alleged list. The chief priest confirmed that Ansah had indeed provided a list of names for ritual purposes.
Both Ansah and the chief priest were fined GH¢10,000 each, but Ansah could not pay his fine.
Two years prior, Ansah had been ostracized by the community for similar spiritual allegations and had relocated to Dixcove.
On the night of his death, youth from the community seized him, tied him up, pelted him with stones, and set him ablaze using car tires soaked in petrol. His body has been deposited at the Dr. Mensah Mortuary in Apowa, awaiting autopsy.
The family, anguished by the brutal loss, is demanding justice.
They urge the state to ensure the culprits are dealt with according to the law.
