Tamale court jails 2 women 12 years for 2020 lynching of 90-year-old ‘witch’

A Tamale High Court on July 4 handed down a landmark ruling in respect of the lynching of a 90-year-old woman in the Savannah Region.

The court found Hajia Mohammed Serena and Latifa Bomaye guilty and sentenced them to 12 years in prison for their involvement in the heinous murder of Akua Denteh.

The incident took place in the town of Kafaba on July 23, 2020, after false accusations of witchcraft were levelled against the deceased.

Law enforcement officials swiftly responded to the tragic event by apprehending seven individuals, including Seidu Yahaya, the chief of the Kafaba community.

The initial charges of attempted murder and murder were proferred but on advice from the Regional Attorney General’s Department to the police, leading to the acquittal of Haruna Aness, Issifa Tanko, Issifa Sachibu, Shaibu Muntala, and Sulemana Ali.

However, Hajia Serena Mohammed and Latifa Bomaye, who had been evading authorities, were eventually apprehended at their respective hideouts and charged.

The conviction is thus, the product of a process that lasted almost two years.