The Gruesome Murder of LGBTQ+ activist

Samuel Yawson, a 35-year-old taxi driver and an alleged member of the LGBTQ+ group has met his untimely death after he was stabbed several times in the chest and stomach and dumped at Weija, a suburb of Accra in the Greater Accra region of Ghana

Information gathered by the local journalists, revealed, *the suspects, who are anti LGBTQ+ members lured the deceased under the pretence of hiring his services to transport them with his taxi cab to a remote location. Halfway during the journey, the suspects forced the other passengers to alight from the taxi and continued with Samuel. It is believed that the deceased confronted the suspects over his Samsung Galaxy mobile phone the suspects seized during the journey.

A serious altercation broke out between them in the process and the suspects who were already wielding weapons including knives inflicted deep wounds on the deceased saying they took the phone because the deceased was a member of a local LGBTQ+ group.

Samuel’s body was later found in a nearby bush after the other passengers who were initially on board gave a tip off to journalists.

This henious act happened on March 7, 2022, a day after Ghana had celebrated her 65th independence. The body of Samuel has since been deposited at the Morgue pending investigations.

The suspects and other local anti LGBTQ+ are currently after the life of Abraham who has fled the town to an unknown destination with his family to avoid suffering the same fate.

Abraham, according to the suspects is on the radar of the suspects to be killed if seen around the town.

“For us since he has decided to join the LGBTQ+ group, we don’t want to see him around and we would do everything possible to finish him and his family.”

One of the community leaders was found to have made this statement at a media interview.

Abraham has made an official complaint to the Police but little or nothing is done by the police force.

Other Information

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo stated recently that same-sex marriage will “never” be legalised while he is president – but Dr Adjepong says this is “disingenuous”.

“No-one is asking for that. Right now queer people in Ghana are being attacked. They’re asking for the freedom to live safely and without fear of this kind of violence.”

The Ghanaian government have not respond to requests for comment on the treatment of its LGBT+ community or the protection they receive.

Concerns about the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana are not new.

Human Rights Watch said in 2018 that queer Ghanaians “suffer widespread discrimination and abuse both in public and in family settings”.

Its report adds that institutions including some government agencies, and the Ghana Police Force, have taken steps to protect the community.

“Nevertheless, LGBTQ+ people are very frequently victims of physical violence and psychological abuse.”

“In Ghana religious institutions have a lot of power.

“The church also advances this argument that queer people in Ghana are abhorrent. And really the church promotes violent discourse against queer people about ‘throwing them into the ocean’, about how they ‘don’t belong here’, about how they’re ‘bringing the downfall of the society’.”