Boy buried alive by fetish priestess exhumed at Abura Asebu

The body of a five-year-old boy, who was reported to have been buried alive by a fetish priestess at Abura Asebu, in the Kwamankese District of the Central Region, has been exhumed.

The exhumation team comprised the District Environmental Office led by the District Head, Emmanuel Afutu Commey, and Dr. Ulzen-Appiah, a pathologist from the Pathological Department of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.

The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Oppong, said the body was exhumed Monday evening around 5pm, and conveyed to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital for preservation and post-mortem examination.

She said the police have arrested two of the suspects for interrogation, while the other three suspects who carried out the burial absconded.

“On 21/04/2022, Kweku Atta, aged 55 of Abura Gyabankrom, accompanied by Alexander Owusu, the Assemblyman of Gyabankrom Electoral Area, came to the station and reported that on same day at 1200 hours, they detected that an unidentified dead body was buried at their ancestral cemetery,” DSP Oppong said.

She said police investigations revealed that the fetish priestess, Esi Janet, buried the body without notifying the chiefs and elders of the town.

DSP Oppong said when Esi Janet was arrested, she confessed that the child was brought to her for spiritual healing, and on April 17, 2022, while undergoing treatment, she passed on. She said with the consent of the parents, she engaged one Kwesi to bury the deceased at the cemetery.

Meanwhile, earlier reports received indicated that the victim was buried alive.

An eyewitness, who is said to be a farmer, was reported to have said that he was in his farm when he heard the voice of a crying baby.

The farmer said he quickly rushed towards the direction of the sound, and spotted a child being buried with one of his legs showing.

Out of shock, the farmer said he rushed and informed the chief and people of the town.

DSP Oppong said Esi Janet, 72, the fetish priestess, and Mary Essuman, 36, mother of the deceased, have been arrested and assisting the police with investigation.

—DGN online