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Regional News of Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Source: From Dominic Jale, Akwakaa, Swedru (THE SUN)

Ritual Murder Rocks Swedru

Top Fetish Priest & Son-In-Law In Police Grips

The dastardly murder of a 17 year old coconut seller at Akwakwaa in the Central region has shot the region to first position, steadily pushing previously higher ranked regions on the league table of RITUAL MURDER such as Western and Brong Ahafo down the abyss for its sheer weight of wickedness, THE SUN can conjecture today.

In the end when the deed was done, the deceased Kwame Djaka a lowly coconut seller was slashed from behind with a sharp implement believed to be a cutlass, as blood gushed out freely with his beefy flesh piercing out of position. Consequently, a popular fetish priest said to possess hyper-spiritual powers at Akwakaa near Agona Swedru is in the firm grips of the Police for allegedly being the architect of the horrible deed.

Irrefutable sources told THE SUN that Agbajega, the popular priest known to the esoteric in the mainland cities of the country who allegedly engaged his own son-in-law to give him human blood for ‘Sika duro’ for an undisclosed sum, is helping Mankrong Junction Police in investigations into the murder. The ill-fated Djaka, a popular coconut seller left Madina-Accra on the morning of Saturday October 24 nursing high hopes, after spending almost two weeks in Accra selling the stuff. Friends told THE SUN that Djaka, who never lazed about one minute, always fought hard economically just to keep heart and soul together to also help his mother. This time around he promised to return in a week's time not only with proceeds from the sale but coconuts as well.

Unknown to him however, his step-uncle Akwasi J.J. had been engaged by his father-in-law Agbajega, the fetish priest to get him human blood for some rituals in exchange for hard cash.

THE SUN's sources at Akwakaa indicated that when Djaka arrived at the village, he decided to hold some discussions with his mother. As fate would have it, midway in their discussion Akwasi JJ arrived at the house and strange-to-relate, welcomed him.

During their meet he asked the deceased to accompany him to a rat expedition along the banks of River Ayensu, just around the bend at the village. The sources continued that when all was set for them to leave, murderous Akwasi who is affectionately called JJ because of his date of birth on June 4 1979, (the very day ex-President JJ Rawlings staged his first coup) pleaded with the deceased to allow him meet his father-in-law, the fetish priest at Dontorkaa some 800 meters away from Akwakwaa.

This time the murderer put up the excuse that he had been prompted to see Agbajega for an urgent message. Unknown to the deceased, Akwasi met the fetish priest to finalize their modus operandi. In the process, he also picked an item which was to fetch the deceased’s blood, after slaughtering him. In that split moment too, Akwasi was given some concoction to gulp down and Gh¢80 for alcoholic drinks to enable him carry out the diabolical operation with brute zeal. The sources said, apart from the cash given him for the operation, an undisclosed sum of money was promised him should he succeed in finishing off the deed successfully.

With stupid zeal very much his cup of tea, Akwasi was made to recite some incantations for almost five minutes, after which he started behaving as possessed. An eye witness told THE SUN that he was spotted by some by-standers running back to the house, where he told the deceased he was ready.

THE SUN was then led into the gory picture of how the deceased was tricked into stooping to look into a said rate hide-out, during which his uncle the murderer slaughtered Djaka, half separating his head from the rest of his body. Naturally, wild screams punctured the atmosphere as the innocent boy breathed his last. According to informed sources, the beast then pulled the jar to draw Djaka’s blood which he later sent to the fetish priest.

When he sent the blood, fetish priest Agbajega was said to have given Akwasi one of his miraculous fetish smocks to wear, after which he assured him of freedom from arrest so long as he wore it.

THE SUN has gathered that when Akwasi returned to the house from the murder expedition with the deceased’s cell-phone and some belongings, his wife spotted blood on his cutlass and asked him about it. Cheekily he did not hide it, and went ahead to tell her and his mother how he had butchered Djaka. One source added that when his wife dared open her mouth to shout, Akwasi turned the key and fled from the house. THE SUN heard that when Kwame did not show the family became alarmed about his whereabouts, and while they were combing from one house to another last Sunday, they had information that the he had been killed and dumped at the banks of River Ayensu.

Somehow Akwasi heard that they had discovered the boy’s body and so fled from the village, wearing the spiritual ‘smock’ given him by the fetish priest ,until he was arrested on Monday by Mankrong Junction Police. THE SUN learnt that during interrogation by the Police, the murderer dropped the name of his father-in-law, Agbajega which subsequently led to his arrest.