Herbalist arrested over suspected ritual murder

A 32-year herbalist, Francis Ahugbe, has been arrested and detained by the police over suspected ritual murder of a teenage girl at Bonya, a suburb of Koforidua.

The deceased, Gifty Yayra Zigbator, left the house on August 06, for routine choir practice but did not return. Her parents made a formal report to the police and after more than 12 hours search, her lifeless body was found floating in a stream.

Some of her body parts were found missing and that has fueled suspicion that she was murdered for ritual purposes.

Residents of Bonya and the adjoining community of Trom are pointing accusing fingers at Ahugbe.The swift intervention of opinion leaders in the two communities prevented the angry youth from taking the law into their own hands by attacking the herbalist.

A source at the Eastern Regional Police Command, familiar with the case, confirmed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the arrest of the herbalist.