Queen mother's grave digger busted in Central region

A young man believed to be in his early 40's has been arrested for exhuming a queen mother's corpse at Ekumfi Gyinankoma, in the Ekumfi District of the Central Region.

The suspect Kojo Essel who hails from  Agona Swedru with two accomplish were caught exhuming a queen mothers corps at the Community's cemetery Saturday, February 19, 2022 midnight at around midnight. Currently, the two suspects have taken to their heels.

Speaking with  Douglas Oyiboh Amponsah, an Eyewitness, a hunter, he disclosed that, the suspects were caught red-handed by myself in the cemetery exhuming the queen mother's corpse from the grave.

"cutlasses, shovel, pinch bar, pickax crow hammer, and sack were found in the bush. I marched the suspect to the Chief's palace myself same night", the hunter added.

Meanwhile, upon searching the bag which was carried along with the suspect, two fresh human skulls, fresh human penis, corps beads, four corps breast, rusted neckline, touch light, and teeth were retrieved from the sacks.

The suspect admitted the crime committed and explained that they were two in number from Kwehu in the Eastern Region but lives at Agona Swedru,  he said, they went to the cemetery to exhumed the corps and search for corps neckline and beads for money rituals. he also confirmed the exhumation of two corps from the cemetery.

According to him, they removed all the nickels, beads, skeletons, and other parts of the corps for their pending rituals. Adding that, they were directed by someone before invading the  Ekumfi Gyinankoma cemetery for the search.

He further disclosed that,  apart from them exhausting corps, they also search for schnapps bottles as well.

 Regent for Ekumfi Gyinankoma, Nana Kwame Donkoh narrated that,  he was informed at midnight when sleeping. "the Youths of the Community were shouting for apprehending a grave looter, I approached the scene and found out human skeletons were carried in a bag belonging to the suspect", the Regent stressed.

He said they followed the suspect to the graveyard to confirm where they loot the corps, only for them to notice that the corps of their queen mother who died recently in an accident was the exact grave dug by Esel and colleagues.

Nana Donkoh, the regent of the community said, this is not the first time to encounter such an incident happening in the community.

He stressed that a ritual will be performed to the gods of the land before any decision will be taken by the chiefs and the elders in the community.

the Assembly Member for the area, Honourable. Abeiku Nyankson said it was midnight on Saturday evening when he got the same information from the youth.

He added that they all went to the cemetery where the suspect loot the corps and found out that it was their queen mother's corpse.

Meanwhile, the suspect has been handed over to the Ekumfi Essuohyia police to assist in estimation.

The Chief has however called the suspect's family members to be present in the community for further information.

The human skeletons and other parts exhumed by the suspect have been retrieved and are at the Chief's Palace pending burial.