Church failed to give spiritual protection to coup maker

Prophet Olormi Stephen Sarfo of Nyamesompa Healing Church on Monday said Warrant Officer Adjei Boadi, former member of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) became bitter with the church when it refused to offer him spiritual support to stage a coup to oust the PNDC in 1989.

Olormi said Adjei Boadi had been a member of the church since 1972 and in 1985 he put up a residence at Ekwamkrom now Budumburam camp where the church was based.

Olormi was responding to a question from Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, a member of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) as to why a member of the church could turn bitter against the church's leadership after so many years of membership.

He said Adjei Boadi, who had earlier told the church of the cessation of his membership with the then PNDC after four years of stay at Ekwamkrom, asked the Leadership of the church to pray for him to succeed in a purported attempt to overthrow the government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).

Olormi said the founder and the then Leader of the church, Odiyifo Kwabena Ekwam refused on the grounds that Adjei Boadi and the Chairman of the PNDC had in 1979 and 1982 sought spiritual help from him to stabilise the army after two military takeovers in 1979 and 1981, and he (Odiyifo Ekwam) would not spiritually undo the PNDC.

Olormi alleged that bad blood developed between Adjei Boadi and the church Leadership and he (Adjei-Boadi) harassed the Ekwamkrom community, who were mostly members of the church, to the extent that he put out the light at the sickbay, where sick people from different walks of life had come to seek healing at the prayer camp.

He said Adjei Boadi became offended when Odiyifo Ekwam at a meeting advised the church members to refrain from negative acts that brought the church's name into disrepute after which Adjei Boadi threatened "to show the church where power lies."

Olormi said Adjei Boadi later conspired with one John Otoo and accused the Prophet of flirting with Otoo's wife and when the case was sent to the Police station it was entertained because it was a civil case.

He said Otoo beat up his wife, Cecilia, then a young woman, who had just undergone surgery adding that Cecilia's father, a blind man in the camp, demanded the presence of the one, who contracted Cecilia's marriage to Otoo at a settlement meeting or else he would abrogate the marriage.

Olormi said Otoo came in the company of Adjei Boadi and some friends to the meeting leaving out the demanded respondent, and Cecilia's father was able to make out that the demanded respondent was not present.

Olormi said the meeting ended on a bad note with Adjei Boadi ordering him to keep quiet else he would see what would happen to him. He said after that incident, there were several threats and harassment with AK 47 and G3 rifles on the community, on which a report was made to the Awutu-Beraku Police but the Police failed to take action.

Olormi said four days later the Police arrested Prophet Ekwam, the church Leadership and other members of the community, but were later given bail.

Prophet Olormi said after the release, Adjei Boadi shot at random in the community and later arranged for the arrest of Odiyifo Ekwam himself and a Prophetess of the church to the BNI where they were interrogated by a five-member panel.

He said at the BNI, when their lawyer asked for the charges, Peter Nanfuri, the then BNI boss, ordered him to vamoose to avoid facing the wrath of the panel. Olormi said on 28 December 1988 Adjei Boadi went on a shooting rampage and put off all lights in the sickbay at the prayer camp which was reported to the Swedru Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police.

He said Adjei Boadi in April 1989 led a group of people to the camp to beat one Prophetess, who had gone to pray for the sick, which was reported to the Awutu-Beraku Police but they failed to take action on an excuse that they were bereaved.

Later, Adjei Boadi led a group of people with guns, knives, hammer and stones to the church and threw the stones at the congregation, which interrupted their service. A driver who had come to visit a patient at the camp was beaten and his car smashed.

Olormi said a report was made to the Winneba Police. When the Police went to the camp they saw Adjei Boadi and his people, who had then pitched their camp on the church premises with their flag on which they had written:

"Operation Scatter the Devil", "Aluta Continua", and "You Devil, Go Away from me", flying high. Olormi confirmed being a former Presidential guard to the late General Fred Akuffo, former Head of State and said he went and rescued a boy Adjei Boadi was strangling and seized from behind Adjei Boadi's pistol from its holster, resulting in a scuffle during which Olormi said Adjei Boadi hit his head several times with sticks.

He said the church members later went into hiding when Adjei Boadi went home and brought out an AK 47 and started shooting at random. They came out from hiding only when they saw Police reinforcement at the camp.

Olormi said the then founder and 24 members of the church the hierarchy were arrested and sent to the BNI, Nima Police station and the Police Information Room, where they spent three and four months in detention without any charge.

He said after interrogation at the BNI, Prophet Ekwam was driven to jail for more that a year and Adjei Boadi threatened shooting the wives of the Prophet and the people arrested if they dared to bring them food.

He prayed the Commission to return to the Church the vast tract of land at Buduburam, where the Liberian Refugee Camp is situated. Counsel for Adjei Boadi, Agyare Koi Larbi, denied the charges against his client.