At Mankessim Anglican School 2, voting has been delayed due to the late arrival of indelible inks.
Electoral Commission (EC) officials are prepared to begin once all materials are in place. Despite the setback, the polling station remains peaceful, with no disruptions reported.
Security personnel are on-site to maintain order and ensure a safe environment for voters.
The 2024 general elections are in progress across the country’s 276 constituencies, with 18.8 million eligible voters.
Thirteen presidential candidates are in the race, including four independents and nine from political parties.
Of the 18.8 million voters, 459,291 represent 4% of the electorate. Males make up 48% of the voting population, while females account for 52%. The youth, who comprise 55% of the voter base, are expected to play a crucial role in the elections.
This year’s elections will involve 40,976 polling stations, with 328 already used for Special Voting on December 2 and 5, 2024.
According to CODEO, the largest civil society organization focused on elections, there are 801 parliamentary candidates vying for 276 seats.
The presidential race features four independent candidates and nine political party representatives, with nine different parties contesting. In the parliamentary race, 111 independent candidates are competing for seats.
Ato Kyinam, a man in his early 30s, was shot and killed by an unidentified gunman in Mankessim on Friday afternoon.
The incident unfolded as the community was gearing up for the Odambea Festival, a significant cultural event for the Nkusukum Traditional Area.
The festival, which spans 20 communities—including Biriwa, Anomabo, Kromantsir, and Saltpond—has Yamoransa as its focal point. Despite its importance, ongoing chieftaincy disputes have hindered full celebrations for years, creating divisions among the people.
Earlier this year, in July, a fresh effort was made to revive the festival by Okogyeman Okese Essandoh IX, Omanhen of Nkusukum Traditional Area, who spearheaded a re-launch in Yamoransa.
A five-member planning team was put together to organize the 50th-anniversary celebrations scheduled for next year, and a new logo, featuring an eagle symbolizing the historic journey of the Nkusukum people from Tekyiman to their present-day settlement, was introduced.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fatal shooting took place during a ritual procession with a ceremonial bull in the Mankessim township. Tensions flared when a faction involved in the ongoing chieftaincy dispute blocked part of the procession route, triggering a confrontation that soon spiraled into violence. The confrontation culminated in the tragic shooting of Kyinam.
Local police were present at the scene but did not provide any statements when approached by the media.
Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has urged the people of Mankessim to vote out the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in the upcoming elections.
He emphasized that the electorate must send a clear message to politicians that they cannot be taken for granted.
Speaking at a stakeholders forum in Mankessim, Dr. Forson warned that the election will shape the destiny of Ghana, which is currently facing severe economic challenges under the NPP.
He blamed the ruling government for economic mismanagement and worsening hardships, arguing that their poor performance should not be rewarded with another term.
Dr. Forson criticized the NPP for excessive borrowing, which has pushed Ghana’s debt to GHS761 billion, with little development to show for it. He also condemned the government for the controversial debt exchange program, accusing them of seizing citizens’ investments and causing financial distress.
Addressing leaders of various communities, traders, and artisans, he called for support for John Dramani Mahama’s vision, assuring that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would introduce transformational policies to assist small businesses and artisans.
Dr. Forson reiterated Mahama’s commitment to building a modern market for Mankessim, similar to the Kotokuraba market in Cape Coast, to boost local commerce.
A 10-year-old hawker, known as Hawa, met a tragic end when a tipper truck, identified by its registration number GM 2312 – 21, struck her in Mankessim within the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
Reports indicate that Hawa was attempting to cross the Mankessim to Cape Coast Highway when the accident occurred.
Sadly, she lost her life in the early hours of Monday, May 6, 2024.
Hawa, who was selling mangoes at the time, was swiftly taken to the Mercy Women’s Catholic Hospital in Mankessim.
Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead upon arrival, and her body has been transferred to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital mortuary.
In light of the incident, authorities have detained the truck driver to aid in the investigation.
Concerned residents are urging the Highway Authority to implement measures, such as installing speed ramps, to address the growing concerns over road safety in the area.
An unfortunate incident occurred on Sunday, March 10, when two vehicles collided head-on, resulting in severe damage to the vehicles and injuries to the occupants along the Mankessim-Apam road.
The devastating situation saw an unexpected twist when a government ambulance sped past the accident scene.
In a video gone viral on social media, the ambulance can be seen approaching the accident scene but failing to stop and continuing to drive past the scene despite the presence of injured individuals and bystanders.
It is unknown what the reason was behind the driver’s decision not to assist the victims of the road accident.
The video has sparked outrage among netizens, with many expressing disappointment and frustration at the driver’s actions.
Meanwhile, no deaths have been reported following the road accident.
Accident on the Cape Coast road between the Mankessim and Apam road.
The Regional Police Command has identified the Winneba-Mankessim stretch, spanning approximately 49.9 kilometers along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway, as the most perilous road in the Central Region.
The authorities attribute the alarming rate of accidents during the 48-minute drive on this section to the poor quality of the road and frequent violations of road safety regulations by drivers.
Despite ongoing efforts such as sustained road safety education, speed checks, and police snap checks at strategic points, the situation remains a significant concern.
“Our challenge is that anytime Christmas is approaching, people are hesitant and afraid to travel because of road accidents,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Charles Kofi Adu, the Central Regional Commander, said.
“Our problem in the Central Region has been the stretch between Apam-Mankessim that has become an accident-prone area.”
DCOP Adu conveyed this message during a speech presented on his behalf at the Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting, which aimed to review past events and devise strategies for expedited development.
The gathering included metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives, presiding members, heads of decentralized departments and agencies, traditional and religious authorities, security agencies, and members of the media.
Despite highlighting the concerning state of the Winneba-Mankessim stretch on the Accra-Cape Coast Highway, DCOP Adu assured attendees that the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) in Cape Coast and Mankessim had heightened patrols to address the situation.
Furthermore, the Command has launched a road safety management strategy named “Traffic Check Ghana” with the goal of enhancing road safety education for commuters.
“Police officers will be on duty, particularly along the stretch before, during and after the Christmas festivities to maintain law and order,” he said.
DCOP Adu emphasized that the police would concentrate their efforts on deploying personnel to commercial centers and various public spaces. Additionally, they would be vigilant in monitoring state assets to ensure security and public order.
That was to ensure the safety and security of humans, communities, institutions, marketplaces, commercial centres, beaches, streets, churches, recreational centres, and hospitals, among other areas.
“There will be police physical presence at all the places to deter criminals. We are using foot and mobile patrols day and night,” he said. “The police have made public safety a top priority and will go all out to ensure that people feel safe as they go about their legitimate businesses during the festive season.”
DCOP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, the Central North Regional Commander, characterized the Assin Fosu area as “relatively peaceful” and advised everyone to observe caution while celebrating the festivities.
He highlighted the effectiveness of police interventions, emphasizing that their success depended on the collaboration between law enforcement and the public.
DCOP Teye-Cudjoe stressed that effective crime prevention and detection relied on a shared responsibility between the police and the community they served, underscoring the importance of public support in maintaining the area’s peace.
“While the police, with the support of the other security agencies, strive to guarantee the safety and security of everyone, it is important to note that personal security is the responsibility of every individual,” DCOP Teye-Cudjoe said.
“Individuals are to be alert and conscious of happenings in their environment and neighbourhood. Neighbours must be one another’s keepers and report every suspicious criminal activity to the police for prompt action.”
DCOP Owusu Bempah, the Deputy Commander of the Central East Command, debunked the security myth associated with Kasoa as a crime-prone area. He highlighted that strategic security interventions had successfully demystified this perception.
While acknowledging that the area had faced challenges related to chieftaincy and land guard issues over the years, DCOP Owusu Bempah assured the public that the situation was now under control.
He urged residents to live in peace and reassured them that the police would continue their routine duties to enhance security in the area.
A 29-year-old disc jockey employed at Mankessim’s Coastal FM, named Kwame Egyama, who also worked as a taxi driver, has been discovered lifeless within a police cell in Mankessim, located in the Central Region.
Egyama had been apprehended by the Jedu Police after he refused to comply with a routine police inspection. Subsequently, he was placed in police custody but was tragically found deceased within the cell the following day.
This unfortunate event has ignited a wave of outrage within the community, with numerous individuals demanding justice. Calls have been made for the police to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
The family of the deceased has expressed profound shock at the incident and has fervently called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Egyama’s death.
“There was a window at the cell and it would have been difficult for someone to commit a crime. What I heard was that after he committed the act the policemen on duty heard loud noise. They quickly rushed him to the hospital.
“He was not dead at the time but died while at the hospital. I want to know why no family member was present when they took him to the hospital.”
The Police in Mankessim have arrested couples suspected to be in their late 50s.
They have been accused of robbing passengers of their belongings at Harom Junction along the Mankessim stretch of the Cape Coast highway.
The alleged modus operandi involves posing as a couple and hiring a taxi to appear as if they are heading to Cape Coast.
Once inside the taxi, they stop at bus stops, and one of them swiftly snatches the passengers’ bags before speeding away in the waiting taxi.
Their streak of successful robberies came to an end when they attempted to snatch a passenger’s bag in Saltpond.
Another vehicle noticed the incident and gave chase, leading to the apprehension of the suspects.
Currently, the suspects remain under the custody of the Mankessim Police Command while further investigations take place.
An eyewitness recounted the incident to the media stated that, “I was traveling from Saltpond to Mankessim around 12 p.m. When I reached Harom Junction, I saw a car coming from Saltpond. It tried to cross in front of me, but I almost hit it. One of the passengers in the car alerted me that they were thieves. I was originally heading to Mankessim, but I turned around and followed them.”
“I informed an oncoming sprinter driver to follow them as well. The sprinter driver overtook them, and I positioned my vehicle right behind them, blocking their escape route. They were two men and two women, possibly in their 50s. The police were called, and they were apprehended. They had a sack containing several purses they had stolen. Some of the robbed passengers were traveling from Cape Coast and Kumasi.”
The eyewitness further revealed that the criminals had been causing distress to passengers in the area for some time. “A few weeks ago, a passenger I picked complained bitterly about being robbed of GH¢10,000,” he stated.
A young man from the Central Region has been apprehended for stealing salted fish, popularly known as ‘koobi,’ at Obuasi Central Market in the Ashanti Region.
The incident was captured on video and shared on Facebook by Wendy Akuffo, quickly going viral.
The suspect, identified as Paa Yaw from Mankessim, had traveled to Obuasi in search of opportunities but ended up engaging in theft. ‘Koobi’ is a cherished ingredient used in Ghanaian soups and stews.
According to reports, a vigilant night watchman spotted the thief during a patrol session as he attempted to escape by jumping from a storey building. The watchman subdued him with a locally-made security weapon and retrieved the stolen ‘koobi’ from him.
The thief had come prepared with a modern bag with multiple zippers to stash his loot, but he only managed to get away with the ‘koobi,’ which he placed in a polythene bag.
The video showed the alleged thief tied to a pole near a stall with heavy chains and a padlock, awaiting action by market authorities. It is suspected that he may have been part of a notorious gang known for robbing markets in Obuasi.
On Thursday morning of July 2023, the suspect was handed over to the police, who are currently conducting an investigation into the matter.
The collapse of a fence wall at Mankessimin the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region has claimed the life of a 15-year-old girl.
Three others, however, escaped this unfortunate incident.
According to reports, the victim known as Winnifred Abena Binney was playing with her three other siblings while raining when the incident happened.
The report added that due to the heavy rains, the fence wall which was under construction suddenly collapsed on her.
Janet Binney, mother of the deceased whiles speaking to Kasapa News said, immediately after she saw what happened, she quickly called for help from neighbours.
The neighbours then rushed and removed the collapsed wall from the girl, but was found dead.
A Chief and a self-acclaimed pastor who confessed to killing and burying a 25-year-old student nurse at Mankessim in the Central Region last year, have confessed to killing another lady.
Georgina Asor Botchway, the student nurse was gruesomely murdered and buried by the two in a room at Mankessim. The body was, however, exhumed by the police following investigations.
Appearing before the Kaneshie District Court in Accra, Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah, aka Nana Clark, the traditional ruler and Michael Amponsah Darko, aka Nana One, the pastor, were remanded into lawful custody.
Nana Clark and Darko have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder of one Gloria Yeboah.
The court presided over by Ms Ama Adomako Kwakye did not take their pleas.
The accused persons are expected to return to court on June 15.
Meanwhile, the police are conducting further investigations into the matter.
The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Margaret Ofori Boadi said Nana Clark, the first accused person, resides at Essikafoammatem in Mankessim, Central Region.
The prosecution said Darko, the second accused person resides at Buokrom, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
It said the accused persons are friends.
The prosecution told the Court that in 2022, Darko met the deceased, who was then working at Amegashie Herbal Clinic in Breman-Kumasi and they became friends.
During their acquaintance, Darko promised to send the deceased abroad.
It said on June 16, 2022, Darko informed the deceased that he had secured a visa for her to go to Holland and asked her to meet him in Accra to embark on the trip.
The prosecution said on June 18, 2022, at about 1023 hours, the deceased met Darko at Achimota in Accra with the intent of travelling abroad.
Darko instead took the deceased to Yamoransa in the Central Region on the same day on the pretext of introducing her to his uncle, Nana Clark.
The prosecution said Darko assured the victim that they would return to Accra on the same day so she could embark on her trip abroad.
It said on June 19, 2022, the Asebu Police in the Central Region received a report from Godslove Benson, the Assembly member for Batanyaa Electoral Area to the effect that the body of a female adult had been found on the outskirts of Batanyaa, along the Batanyaa – Assin-Fosu Highway.
The prosecution said the Police visited the scene, examined the body, and found visible marks of violence on the cheek and neck of the deceased.
It said the body was removed from the scene and deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Mortuary for preservation, identification, and autopsy.
On September 19, 2022, the accused persons were arrested for their involvement in the murder of Georgina Asor Botchway.
The prosecution said during interrogation, the accused persons who admitted the offence, also indicated that they murdered Gloria Yeboah on June 18, 2022, at Batanyaa and dumped her body along the Batanyaa – Assin-Fosu main road.
It said the accused persons led the Police to the crime scene and identified the location where they murdered and dumped Gloria.
The location where they dumped Gloria confirmed the exact place the body of the deceased was found.
The prosecution said during a search of Darko’s house in Kumasi, a passport-size picture of Gloria was found in his room, which he identified as the deceased.
It said Gloria’s sister also identified the deceased’s picture to the police.
The prosecution said on October 5, 2022, an autopsy was conducted by a pathologist who gave the interim cause of death as “Sharp Force” (Stab Wounds).
A 35-year-old woman has been arrested for alleged child trafficking at Biriwa in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
Information gathered by Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan indicates that the suspect believed to be a sex worker who lives in Accra went to Bankyea in the Secondi Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region for the Child.
The victim, Abigail, who is fifteen years and a Junior High School student in an interview with Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan said, she was home when the suspect came and told her that she has bought materials for her so she should follow her to the seamstress for measurement only for her to realise that she is in Cape Coast.
The victim later asked some of the passengers in a Toyota Hiace with registration number GE-3474-21 where she was and was told she was at Mankessim.
The passengers then handed the suspect together with the victim to the police who were on duty at the Police Checkpoint at Biriwa after the girl kept on crying uncontrollably that she wants to go back home.
The incident happened Wednesday, March 29, 2022, around 8:30 PM.
Meanwhile, when the aunty of the victim, Barbara at Secondi Takoradi was called on the phone, she said, she did not know the victim’s whereabouts and is looking for her.
The Aunty said she knows the suspect to be a prostitute who has lived in Nigeria for many years and is now into prostitution in Accra.
She suspects the suspect was sending her niece to Accra for Prostitution.
The suspect has been put in police custody to assist investigation.
On Saturday, February 25, 2023 some residents of Mankessim nearly lynched a woman in her fifties who attempted to covertly bury her deceased spouse in a bush.
The woman had failed to locate relatives of Aggrey Coffie, her late husband who was a popular Lotto Agent whom she has had been staying for over 20 years.
Information from sources indicate the late husband contracted an undisclosed illness which she tried to get him healed after failing to locate any of his relatives but all efforts proved futile leading to his death.
With the help of some men she hired, they put the late deceased’s remains in a sack and tried burying him in the bush around 7:30 pm Saturday night.
But, some neighbours who had a tip-off busted the woman and nearly assaulted her.
Meanwhile, Kasapa FM’sYaw Boagyan gathered from some neighbours that the deceased always got angry whenever he was asked of his roots, making it difficult for the poor wife to know any relations of his.
According to them, the deceased never talked to them anytime he came back from work for over 15 years of staying with him, as some believe he was a ghost living among them.
A 55-year-old man has been found dead in his room at Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
According to reports, the deceased, Kwame Entie’s lifeless body almost rotten was found after the residents started inhaling bad odour emanating from the direction of his room.
He was said not to be feeling well recently and visited the hospital and was recovering until his demise.
Residents say he’d not been seen in the past few days but their curiosity was aroused after they began to smell the bad ordor and alerted the Police.
His room was subsequently searched but was unfortunately found dead on Sunday, February 19, 2023 in the evening.
The body has been deposited at the Saltpond Government Hospital Mortuary for autopsy and preservation while police have commenced investigation.
An accident at Gomoa Antseadze near Apam in the Central Region has claimed 7 lives.
The tragic incident which occurred on Thursday, January 12, 2023, involved a Sprinter mini bus with registration number GW7920-22, which veered off into the bush while travelling from Mankessim towards Accra, graphiconline reports.
Fire service personnel reportedly arrived at the accident scene at about 8pm following a report by the [passer-by at the Apam Fire Station.
According to the Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Division Officer III, Abdul Wasiu Hudu, the station quickly dispatched the rescue team to the scene and observed a Sprinter minibus was involved in an accident with a number of the passengers trapped in the vehicle.
He said the police carried the dead to the morgue.
Meanwhile, 8 people including an infant have reportedly sustained some injuries.
According to reports, a 67-year-old woman at Mankessim in the Central Region of Ghana has allegedly committed suicide.
The old woman, according to a report by Despite Media’s Central Regional Correspondent, Ibrahim Dadzie, took her own life by hanging herself.
According to the reporter, the incident occurred on Friday, December 7, 2022, at Mmroansa, a suburb of Mankessim.
The old woman was found the morning of the incident by her eldest daughter hanging from a door frame with a sponge tied around her neck.
According to the reporter, the incident has thrown relatives of the deceased into a state of shock, as they find it difficult to identify what motivated their mother to take her own life.
Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Saltpond Government Hospital, with police investigations ongoing.
A 25-year-old mason, Michael Atuah, almost lost three fingers in an alleged machete attack by suspected land guards at Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
The victim was said to be doing some work at a construction site with some colleagues when the suspects stormed the place armed with a metal pole, machete, and a kitchen knife among others.
The suspects then attacked the victim, swinging the knife at his back and almost severing three left fingers as he tried to protect his head.
The suspects are alleged to have discarded the weapons before leaving the scene with GHC500.00 belonging to the victim.
According to an eyewitness, the victim’s fingers were only attached by soft tissue when they arrived on the scene.
He was rushed to the Mercy Women’s Hospital in Mankessim where he was treated.
Two of the suspects have been apprehended by the police while investigations have been launched into the case.
The court says the decision is to give ample time to the police to conduct their investigation into the matter.
The three accused persons including the third suspect who is alleged to have been hired by the Tufuhene Nana Clark and another accomplice Michael Darko to dig the hole that was used in burying the victim appeared before the court today.
The charge against the three still remains conspiracy to wit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal and other Offences Act 1980, Act 29.
They have been remanded into police custody to reappear on October 18, 2022.
Nana Akwa III, the Chief of Akwakrom in Mankessim in the Central Region has called on the Ghana Police Service to do all it takes to arrest two personalities in connection with the now famous Mankessim ritual murder saga.
The two personalities he wants to be arrested are the fetish priest of the community who was close to one of the main suspects, Christopher Ekow Quansah (Nana Clarke,) the Tufuhen, who is currently in custody.
The other is one Mr. Kwesi Gyan, the Abiradze Ebusuapayin, also a relation of Nana Clarke.
The duo have disappeared since the issue of the murder of one Georgina Asor Botchwey, blew the lid on the alleged criminal activities of Nana Clarke and an accomplice Pastor Michael Darko Amponsah (Sofo Kofi).
The chief explained at a September 29 press conference why he wanted the “who could not be tracked since the news broke out,” to be arrested.
“We are appealing to the police to interrogate his fetish priest in the community who the Tufohen liked so much and took cover prior to his arrest,” Nana Akwa pleaded.
Nana Akwa, during the press conference wondered how the Tufohen dug the craters containing numerous bottles and dead materials without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin.
“Since the arrest of the Tufohen, all attempts to reach his Ebusuapanyin, who was always in the community, has not been successful. There is no way anyone can dig out two pits in two separate rooms in a family house without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin. This is incomprehensible.
“More so, prior to the arrest of the Tufohen, his Ebusuapanyin was billed to meet the Chief and elders on some teething community issues, but he cannot be found. And why is he not answering our calls,” the Chief revealed.
The Tufuhen and Sofo Kofi are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1980, Act 29.
A Cape Coast District court presided over Her Lordship Bernice Mensima Ackon remanded them on their last appearance on September 2.
The court agreed to the request of prosecution – led by DSP Daniel Gadzo – for more time to conclude investigations. The case was adjourned to October 4, 2022.
A third person, one Aggrey, said to have dug the pit in which Georgina was buried has also been arretsed.
GNA report on police arrests and latest discoveries
Hundreds of people on Thursday gathered in front of the house of Christopher Ekow Quansah, the Tufuhen of Mankessim, to catch a glimpse of him and self-styled pastor Michael Darko, who allegedly murdered one Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey.
A police team had led the two accused persons, who allegedly confessed to the killing of three more people, to the house of the Tufohen, located just after the Pacific Fuel Station, near the Mankessim Lorry Station for further investigations.
The crowd hooted at them amid name calling and casting of aspersions as drivers in traffic temporarily stopped over to watch the two, who have notoriously become famous.
A source told the GNA that the two accused persons had confessed to killing three other people, a male and two females and led the police team on Thursday afternoon, to the various locations.
The witness said the accused persons first took the team to the house of the Tufohen at Mankessim and Akwakrom near Mankessim, where they carried out their criminal activities.
The police thoroughly searched the rooms and took vital document and information for further investigation.
Again, in Mankessim, the two took the police team to a location where a male teacher was allegedly invited by them and was shot and killed instantly and his toes cut.
The police were also taken to a location in the Ekumfi District where they allegedly shot and killed a female trader and buried her under a bridge in the Ekumfi District.
The team also visited a location at Batanya in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamakese District, where they allegedly killed a young lady from Kumasi.
Apparently, the two pretended to be travel agents and prepared a traveling document for her to travel to Holland.
The two allegedly told the police that they met the lady at Batanyaa on the Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Highway and killed her.
The two are the fetish priest of the area and one Mr. Kwesi Gyan, the Abiradze Ebusuapayin, a relation of one of the suspects, Nana Clarke.
Nana Akwa III, the Chief of Akwakrom, at a press conference this week has called for the arrest and inquiry into the activities of the two persons “who could not be tracked since the news broke out,” a GNA report of September 29 read.
“We are appealing to the police to interrogate his fetish priest in the community who the Tufohen liked so much and took cover prior to his arrest,” Nana Akwa pleaded.
Nana Akwa, during the press conference wondered how the Tufohen dug the craters containing numerous bottles and dead materials without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin.
“Since the arrest of the Tufohen, all attempts to reach his Ebusuapanyin, who was always in the community, has not been successful. There is no way anyone can dig out two pits in two separate rooms in a family house without the knowledge of the Ebusuapanyin. This is incomprehensible.
“More so, prior to the arrest of the Tufohen, his Ebusuapanyin was billed to meet the Chief and elders on some teething community issues, but he cannot be found. And why is he not answering our calls,” the Chief revealed.
GNA report on police arrests and latest discoveries
Hundreds of people on Thursday gathered in front of the house of Christopher Ekow Quansah, the Tufuhen of Mankessim, to catch a glimpse of him and self-styled pastor Michael Darko, who allegedly murdered one Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey.
A police team had led the two accused persons, who allegedly confessed to the killing of three more people, to the house of the Tufohen, located just after the Pacific Fuel Station, near the Mankessim Lorry Station for further investigations.
The crowd hooted at them amid name calling and casting of aspersions as drivers in traffic temporarily stopped over to watch the two, who have notoriously become famous.
A source told the GNA that the two accused persons had confessed to killing three other people, a male and two females and led the police team on Thursday afternoon, to the various locations.
The witness said the accused persons first took the team to the house of the Tufohen at Mankessim and Akwakrom near Mankessim, where they carried out their criminal activities.
The police thoroughly searched the rooms and took vital document and information for further investigation.
Again, in Mankessim, the two took the police team to a location where a male teacher was allegedly invited by them and was shot and killed instantly and his toes cut.
The police were also taken to a location in the Ekumfi District where they allegedly shot and killed a female trader and buried her under a bridge in the Ekumfi District.
The team also visited a location at Batanya in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamakese District, where they allegedly killed a young lady from Kumasi.
Apparently, the two pretended to be travel agents and prepared a traveling document for her to travel to Holland.
The two allegedly told the police that they met the lady at Batanyaa on the Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Highway and killed her.
The family of 22-year-old Georgina Asor Botchwey have held a burial ceremony for the deceased at Yeji in the Bono East Region of Ghana.
Georgina was murdered in a ritual killing incident at Mankessim in the Central Region.
On Thursday, September 29, 2022, her family held a burial ceremony to put the deceased to final rest.
Her burial comes after police exhumed her body from the residence of a local chief at Mankessim.
Videos of the burial ceremony sighted by GhanaWeb show a mood of heavy grieving as the family and loved ones of Asor Botchwey put her to rest.
Two suspects, Michael Darko and Christopher Ekow Clarke, who were arrested for killing the 25-year-old aspiring nurse have confessed to killing another victim.
According to reports, Michael Darko is a self-styled pastor while Christopher Ekow Clark is said to be a local chief.
The two were arrested after Georgina Asor Botchwey, who had gone for an admission interview at the Ankarful Nursing Training School, had gone missing for weeks.
Michael Darko, according to reports, was the fiancé of Georgina’s sister and had requested to meet her in Mankessim after her interview.
Meanwhile, the police say the suspects have confirmed killing a second victim whose identity has been established while leads on a possible third victim are being followed.
Personnel from the Central Regional Police Command have arrested a third person in connection with the murder of Ms. Georgina Asor Botchwey, according to a Ghana News Agency report.
The suspect, 26-year-old mason, who was identified as Abbey, is said to have been contracted by one of the accused persons to dig the pit in which the victim was hurriedly buried.
Abbey is said to be an in-law of ‘contractor’ Christopher Ekow Quansah, (Nana Clarke) the Tufuhen of Mankessim, who is facing charges of murder along with self-styled pastor, Michael Darko (Sofo Kofi).
The GNA report said Quansah, confessed to have hired the husband of one Esi Akyere to dig the pit in his houses at Mankessim.
Police with the support of the chiefs arrested Abbey who happens to be a member
of the community youth volunteer group. He confessed receiving GH¢50in two installments after earlier denying that he had been contracted.
Abbey said the Tufohen paid him a first instalments of ¢20 and ¢30 after he had completed the task.
Baffled by the revelation of the suspect, the sources said, the chiefs assembled all the members of the Youth Volunteer Group and impressed on them to confess if they were complicit in the murder case, but they all denied any knowledge of it, the GNA report added.
Meanwhile, family of the victim were a the Cape Coast Regional Hospital mortuary where they identified the body of Ms. Botchwey.
Another suspect has been arrested in connection with the ritual murder in Mankessim of a student nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey.
The Ghana News Agency, reported the name of the suspect as one Abbey, he is said to be the husband to the niece of one of the suspects, Nana Clarke. The Modern Ghana news portal gave his name as Kobbie.
According to reports, he was hired to dig the hole in which the deceased was buried at Nana Clarke’s residence in Mankessim.
He becomes the third suspect to be picked in connection with the murder, the two others being Nana Clarke (real name Christopher Ekow Quansah) and Pastor Michael Darko Amponsah (Sofo Kofi).
The two are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1980, Act 29.
A Cape Coast District court presided over Her Lordship Bernice Mensima Ackon remanded them on their last appearance on September 2.
The court agreed to the request of prosecution – led by DSP Daniel Gadzo – for more time to conclude investigations. The case was adjourned to October 4, 2022.
Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below:
The Lowdown: Role of the diaspora in the development of Africa
CEO of the Aaron Manvel Foundation Millie Lorene Tucker and Gary Hope, the CEO of FLCC – Bring Back Hope Foundation underscore the need for the African diaspora to help develop the continent in this episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV. According to the women trying to make and create a change in Ghana, our forefathers were sold away and made to develop strange lands. Thus, coming back home and developing their home country is the best thing to do especially when resources are available.
The Ghana News Agency, reported the name of the suspect as one Abbey, he is said to be the husband to the niece of one of the suspects, Nana Clarke. The Modern Ghana news portal gave his name as Kobbie.
According to reports, he was hired to dig the hole in which the deceased was buried at Nana Clarke’s residence in Mankessim.
He becomes the third suspect to be picked in connection with the murder, the two others being Nana Clarke (real name Christopher Ekow Quansah) and Pastor Michael Darko Amponsah (Sofo Kofi).
The two are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1980, Act 29.
A Cape Coast District court presided over Her Lordship Bernice Mensima Ackon remanded them on their last appearance on September 2.
The court agreed to the request of prosecution – led by DSP Daniel Gadzo – for more time to conclude investigations. The case was adjourned to October 4, 2022.
The Police say the chief arrested in connection with the murder of a prospective student nurse at Mankessim is still alive and in their custody.
They described as false some media reports suggesting that the suspect has died.
“The chief and his accomplice who were remanded into police custody by the court to reappear on October 4, 2022, are alive and in custody.
“We, therefore, urge the public to treat the report with the contempt it deserves,” the Police said in a statement on Saturday.
Earlier in the week, the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom in the Central Region was picked up at his hideout at Akwa Krom in the Ekumfi District.
This was after a pastor confessed to helping him kidnap, kill, and secretly bury the lady.
Mankessim District Police Command arrested Nana Clark Onyaa and had him transferred to the Regional Police Command in Cape Coast to assist in investigations.
The body of Georgina Asor Botchwey was exhumed by the pastor and police investigators on Tuesday in the room of Nana Clark Onyaa, the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom.
According to sources, the chief, who is also the president of the Mankessim Traders Association, and his accomplice, kidnapped the nurse after engaging in sexual acts with her.
They then killed her and buried her in one of the chief’s apartments.
The pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He then led the police to the chief’s residence, where the victim’s body was exhumed.
The victim’s body was reportedly buried nearly three weeks ago. Along with the body, the victim’s bag, shoes, and other possessions were also found at the chief’s house.
Charles Owusu has called on Ghanaians, especially the youth, to stop seeking quick ways to enrich themselves.
The former Head of the Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission was alarmed by recent news of the murder of a 25-year-old trainee nurse at Mankessim in the Central Region.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder
According to a Police statement, the two – a self-styled Pastor, Michael Darko alias Nana 1, and Christopher Ekow Clark, Tufuhene (Chief) of Akwakrom – confessed to “murdering the victim for money rituals.”
“During Police interrogation, suspect Michael Darko, who is the alleged boyfriend of the senior sister of the deceased victim and was last seen with her, led police to the location where they had buried her after the murder.”
The body has since been exhumed and deposited at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
“The two accused persons were today, 22nd September 2022 arraigned at the District Court II in Cape Coast and have been remanded to reappear before the court on October 4, 2022.”
Speaking on “Kokrokoo” programme on Peace FM, Charles Owusu wondered why people would kill to have money.
He charged the citizenry to know that it is good for one to be prosperous but this ambitious desire to be rich at all cost, thus resort to money rituals, is not the right way.
He asked the public to use appropriate means through hardwork to gain riches.
“Money cannot buy life. Let’s be careful about our desires for quick riches,” he stated.
The Chiefs and the people of Akwakrom near Mankessim have discovered three holes suspected to be graves dug by Nana Clark Onyaa, the prime suspect in the murder of a 25-year-old aspiring trainee nurse in Mankessim.
The two of the sites covered and with broken bottles all around, were found in two obscure corners in the suspect’s deserted family house accessed by him alone.
Another huge dugout pit was discovered on a plantain farm at the back of the family house and some residents claimed he visited fortnightly to perform rituals at the night and most times, came with a pickaxe and shovels in his vehicle.
This According to Mr Kojo Assan, leader of the Youth Volunteer Group of Akwakrom, rouse their suspicions and they mounted surveillance on the Chief who on realising that he was being watched closely, tried to disband the group without success.
He said, not knowing, the Tufohen directed his nefarious activities to Mankessim.
Aboradze Ebusuapanyin Kofi Adu together with some elders in the community who led the Ghana News Agency to the sites on Thursday said the sites were discovered when the news broke out about the missing lady, and they accordingly informed the police.
“We don’t know what he buried in the pits but based on his recent activities, your guess is as good as mine. We suspect he may have done the same here so we want serious excavation to be done here to ascertain the use of the pits.
The visibly shaken Ebusuapanyin said they never suspected the Tufohen could kill a fly, “He is an eloquent person liked by many. He is the leader of the Asafo groups and occasionally visits the palace to partake in activities,” he said.
Ebusuapanyin Adu indicated that the community would not shield anyone found to have connived with the suspects regardless of their social standing or family lineage.
According to him, the deceased was most of the time spotted chatting with the pastor, but the Tufohen claimed he was a relative who had come to spend some days.
“Many people saw the deceased here in the company of the pastor and she appeared weak and pale, but the pastor claimed he was cleansing her spiritually, little did we know they had diabolic intent,” he added.
The Ebusuapanyin Edu, however, denied claims that the Tufohen was the Regent of Akwakrom. “ Tufohen has brought shame to our community.
“Now, people think we are all criminals here because of someone’s misdeed. We are law-abiding citizens who do not condone crime”, he added.
He said the community had intensified patrols to ward off all criminal activities, something he claimed prevented the suspects from burying the deceased in the community.
He pledged the commitment of the Chiefs and people to ensure justice was served to restore the image of the community.
Earlier, the GNA visited the Tufohen’s house in Mankessim and observed that the scene had been cordoned-off with some food vendors in front of the house going about their normal businesses without qualms.
They equally expressed shock about the suspect’s conduct, claiming the Tufohen was an arbiter who had brought peace to many families and homes.
“He is a counsellor who has arbitrated many protracted family issues, but little did we expect him to have committed such a heinous crime,” Madam Elizabeth Awudzi, a food vendor stated.
The host of Onuaa Maakye on Onua TV, Captain Smart, has become the latest personality to express shock over the murder and secret burial of a 25-year-old Georgina Asor Botchwey at Mankessim in the Central Region.
According to the broadcaster, his shock about the incident stems from his personal knowledge of one of the two suspects who have been arrested in connection with the murder.
Captain Smart, speaking on the Thursday, September 22, 2022, edition of hisprogramme, noted that his family shares a wall with Nana Onyaa Clark whose house the deceased’s body was exhumed from.
“Do you know the murder incident in Mankessim is right behind my house? From my house to the place where the aspiring nurse was killed is like from where we are sitting [the studio] to the newsroom. That is the distance between us, it is just a wall that separates us,” he said.
Describing the suspect as a well-respected man, Captain Smart said he is a man he would never have thought to be a murderer.
“The truth before God is had it not been for the body that was exhumed in his house, I would never believe that Nana Clark could kill even a lizard,” he said.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the deceased, whose body has been exhumed from the house of one of the suspects.
The two suspects are Michael Darko Amponsah, a self-styled pastor, who is also a fiancé of the deceased’s sister; and a local chief, Nana Onyaa Clark.
The two have been charged with two counts, namely: conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960, Act 29.
The Cape Coast District Court II remanded them into custody to reappear on October 4, 2022.
The recent news of the murders that have taken place inWa and Mankessim, like those that have once flooded news headlines in Ghana before, have given rise to a lot of questions about the security situation in thecountry.
Unsettled as they are, these cases have also brought to bear the fact that there have been quite too many instances like that where people have either died or been killed through mysterious means.
In an attempt to chronicle some of the cases of murders (ritual murders) that have heralded news headlines in the country, particularly in 2022, GhanaWeb has put together this list of some of the most gruesome killings that happened in various parts of the country.
Wa killings, Upper West:
Residents of the Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region have been living in fear with a risingspate of murders targeting private security officers.
The number of victims is inching towards a dozen, with the most recent having been discovered on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
In five months, ten lives have been lost in bizarre circumstances to ‘serial killers’ in the region.
Last Friday, September 16, 2022, some residents showed up in their numbers at the Wa Technical Institute to protest the security situation there.
Out of the ten people who have lost their lives, only three bodies have so far been found.
The police have since ramped up efforts to arrest the situation and to assure the population of adequate security, with the Inspector-General of Police, COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, visiting the region.
According to additional details, in the case of the latest victim, his eyes and tongue had been removed. The day after, Tuesday, September 19, another body was exhumed with his kidney, heart, and private parts missing.
Bole, Savannah:
In January 2022, the body of a middle-aged man was found in an uncompleted building at Mempeasem in Bole.
On February 6, 2022, the decomposing body of a man was found in an uncompleted building.
In both cases, the men were found with only their elbows visible while the rest of their bodies were in the ground.
Mankessim, Central Region:
A chief and a pastor confessed to killing and burying an aspiring nurse at Mankessim in September 2022.
The duo is said to have dug a pit in the chief’s house, which is under construction, and buried the lady there.
The pastor, Michael Darko Amponsah, who turned out to be the fiancé of the deceased’s sister, was arrested at Cape Coast and he immediately confessed to the crime.
He then led the police to the house of his accomplice, Nana Onyaa Clark, a local chief, where the body was retrieved.
Along with her body, the police also retrieved her bag, her shoes, and other belongings.
Cape Coast, Central Region:
In May 2022, a level 300 Marketing student of the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), Nana Ama Clark, was found dead at the Ola Estate near the Ola College of Education.
Her body was found on the roadside at Ola Estate near the Ola College of Education, Cape Coast, with her private part cut off, and bruises on her body.
At Beposo, near Kuntunase, also in the same region, four persons were arrested for murdering a 23-year-old man in January 2022.
The suspects are reported to have tied the deceased with a rope and hit him with clubs until he became unconscious and subsequently died.
Adukrom, Eastern Region:
Between August 30 and September 1, 2022, three teenage Junior High School girls were found dead at Okrakwodwo along the Adukrom-Koforidua Highway in the Okere District.
It is alleged that they left their homes to visit some young men in another community around 11:30 pm before they met their untimely deaths.
At Odumase Krobo on September 12, 2022, a 60-year-old physically-challenged man was murdered and set ablaze in an arson attack.
He was allegedly clubbed before a makeshift structure he was sleeping in, was set ablaze by the arsonist(s) in a protracted land dispute.
Zakoli, Northern Region:
At Zakoli in April 2022, more than eight people were killed and several missing after an attack on a village of Fulani herders.
The town, near Yendi, is said to have been surrounded by gunmen at about 1 pm.
A woman, who survived the attack because she was told she was a woman, said the gunmen separated the women and children to one side and killed only the men.
She explained that most of the men were shot at close range while the attackers burnt down the entire settlement and left others with machete injuries. Dozens of livestock were killed and looted with motorcycles and other properties.
Bono Region:
In August 2022, angry youth of Adoe, a farming community in the Sunyani West Municipality, descended on Fulani herdsmen and killed nearly 100 cattle.
On March 31, 2022, a 20-year-old ‘pragyia’ rider was allegedly murdered by unknown assailants.
The deceased, a student of Chiraa Senior High School, was allegedly hired by some three men to take them to Bodamnii Nkwanta.
The deceased was killed on the way while he was transporting the passengers to their destination.
On July 8, 2022, at Prenkoase, a suburb of Sunyani in the Bono Region, a man believed to be between 25-30 years, was found lying in a pool of blood on the side of the road.
Ashanti Region:
In September 2022, at Konongo, three suspects were arrested over the murder of a 15-year-old girl.
The body of the deceased, identified as Regina Sarfo, was found dumped in a bush at Ahenbrom, a suburb of Konongo on September 8, 2022.
At Benebene, near Fianko, two people were arrested for allegedly murdering a final-year student of the Tweneboah Kodua SHS.
The deceased, who operated a motorcycle business at Odaho during school holidays, was allegedly attacked at Benebene near Fianko.
At Konongo in the Asante Akyem area, in May 2022, some ‘sakawa boys’ allegedly murdered a 22-year-old girl.
Body parts were removed before her body was dumped in a river.
Western North Region:
In July 2022 at Sefwi Bekwai, three people were arrested in connection with the murder of a 27-year-old woman at Sefwi Bekwai Atwumah.
The deceased, Martha Tetteh, a resident of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, had travelled to Sefwi Bekwai on Monday, June 27, 2022, to allegedly consult a spiritualist.
Her headless body was later found in an uncompleted building at Sefwi Bekwai.
Volta Region:
On June 16, 2022, at Kpetoe in the Agortime Ziope District, a man was killed and his body was found without its head.
The deceased, identified as Apetor Yesu, was a homeowner and was allegedly approached by the suspect for accommodation after he was left stranded in Kpetoe.
It was reported that after escorting the suspect out of the house, however, Apetor Yesu never returned.
Also at Kpetoe in June 2022, the police arrested John Adonu, a welder, for his suspected involvement in the killing of an 85-year-old man, Joseph Tawiah Darko.
The 85-year-old deceased had earlier been reported to have gone missing on June 14, 2022, after he left the house a day earlier.
His decapitated body was discovered under a tree on his farm on June 15, 2022.
Greater Accra Region:
While this is not a case of murder or a killing, in June 2022, at Amasaman, a Ghanaian returnee was arrested after he was captured on video trying to use his 11-year-old daughter for money rituals.
Unfortunately for him, the traditional priest he sent the girl to gave him out, explaining that he was not a fetish priest who demands human sacrifices.
At Abeka on September 7, 2022, a newly-married woman was allegedly murdered in cold blood.
The woman, identified as Muniratu Moro, who entered the marriage as a second wife, was found lifeless in a pool of blood.
It was discovered too that there was a cut on her throat and her thigh.
“She was killed in her room and then dragged into her rival’s room, the way she died was not natural and we need to know how she was murdered,” the brother of the deceased, Mohammed Samba said.
These are but a few of the cases available to GhanaWeb as of the time of going to press but there are many more that are not captured here.
More details are emerging about the murder of a 25-year-old lady, Georgina Asor Botchwey, at Mankessim in the Central Region.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the deceased, whose body has been exhumed from the house of one of the suspects.
The two suspects are Michael Darko Amponsah, a self-styled pastor who is also a fiancé of the deceased’s sister and a local chief, Nana Onyaa Clark.
Dailyguidenetwork reports that a new development indicates that, the would-be-in-law of the deceased sold her off to the chief to be used for rituals.
The family of Georgina became alarmed after their daughter went missing days after she left Yeji to attend an admission interview at Ankarful Nursing Training College in Cape Coast.
Georgina, after her interview, was reportedly picked up by her sister’s fiancé, who resides at Mankessim.
Dailyguide further reports that Joseph Dade, an uncle of the late Georgina narrated that when this information got to the family, a soldier brother of the deceased was contacted to launch investigations into the disappearance of his sister.
Her family, following her disappearance, tracked down the said fiancé of the girl’s sister, Michael Darko Amponsah also known Osofo Kofi, to a village where he had gone into hiding.
Her uncle further indicated that it was during the interrogations that the pastor confessed to the crime, revealing that Georgina had been sold to a chief in the Central Region.
He confessed to selling off the deceased to Nana Clark, the other suspect who is the chief.
“Following her disappearance, our “brother-in-law” was arrested in connection with that and he confessed that she had been sold to a chief in the Central Region, Nana Clark, but when they went there she had been killed,” an uncle of the deceased, Joseph Dade according to a Dailyguidnetwork.com report said.
The deceased’s body was later exhumed from the local chief’s house at Adumadze in Mankessim.
Nana Clark was subsequently arrested and arraigned together with Michael Amponsah. The two have been charged with two counts, namely: conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit murder and murder, contrary to section 46 of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960, Act 29.
The Cape Coast District Court II remanded them into custody to reappear on October 4, 2022.
The two suspects arrested for the murder of aspiring trainee nurse, Georgina Asor Botwe, at Mankessim in the Central Region have confessed to their crimes, the Police Service has revealed.
The accused currently in police custody are Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah, and self-styled pastor, Michael Darko.
In a statement on Thursday, September 22, 2022, the police revealed that the suspects admitted to “murdering the victim for money rituals.”
Following this revelation, they were arraigned before the District Court II in Cape Coast on Thursday, and have been remanded to reappear before the Court on 4th October 2022.
On September 10, 2022, Georgina Asor Botwe was reported missing.
The alleged boyfriend of the deceased’s senior sister, Michael Darko, was invited for interrogation as it was found out that he was the last person to have interacted with Georgina.
Later, the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom was apprehended for the role he played in the murder of an aspiring trainee nurse.
According to the police, the interrogation also led officers to the location where the 25-year-old had been buried.
The police statement did not make mention of the exact spot where they retrieved the remains of the lady.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s remains have since been exhumed and deposited at the Cape CoastTeaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
Residents of Mankessim are yet to recover from shock after the news about the exhumation of the body of a trainee nurse broke out in the area.
One of the residents who was overwhelmed by the shock of the incident was the son of the prime suspect in the murder of Georgina Asor Botchwey, Nana Clark Onyaa.
According to the Assemblyman of the area, Alex Kojo Appiah, the son of Nana Clark, who was present when the deceased’s body was exhumed from inside his father’s building, collapsed out of shock and had to be given medical attention.
“When I came to find out that the body had been exhumed and taken to Cape Coast, I inquired of the whereabouts of his children. I was informed that the son fainted when the body was exhumed and had been rushed to the Roman Hospital for medical attention,” the Assemblyman said.
Nana Clark, the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwakrom, was recently arrested at a hideout in Akwakrom in the Ekumfi District.
His arrest followed the confession of an accomplice in the kidnap, murder and secret burial of Georgina Asor Botchwey.
The second suspect in the case is Pastor Michael Darko Amponsah, popularly known as Osofo Kofi.
Osofo Kofi, according to reports, is the fiancé of the deceased’s elder sister.
The two suspects arrested for the murder of aspiring trainee nurse, Georgina Asor Botwe, at Mankessimin the Central Region have confessed to their crimes, the Police Service has revealed.
The accused currently in police custody are Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah, and self-styled pastor, Michael Darko.
In a statement on Thursday, September 22, 2022, the Police revealed that the suspects admitted to “murdering the victim for money rituals.”
Following this revelation, they were arraigned before the District Court II in Cape Coast on Thursday, and have been remanded to reappear before the Court on 4th October 2022.
The alleged boyfriend of the deceased’s senior sister, Michael Darko, was invited for interrogation as it was found out that he was the last person to have interacted with Georgina.
Later, the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom was apprehended for the role he played in the murder ofaspiring trainee nurse.
According to the Police, the interrogation also led officers to the location where the 25-year-old had been buried.
The Police statement did not make mention of the exact spot they retrieved the remains of the lady.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s remains have since been exhumed and deposited at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
Following the suspected murder of 22-year-old Georgina Asor Botchwey at Mankessim in the Central Region, new details about her death are coming in.
It has emerged that the pastor, Michael Darko Amponsah popularly known as Osofo Kofi who has been arrested by the police in connection with the murder is the deceased sister’s fiancé.
According to the family, Georgina left Yeji in the Bono East Region to attend an interview at the Ankarful Nursing Training College in Cape Coast.
They indicate that following her disappearance, the family was alerted that she was picked up by the sister’s fiancé after the interview.
Mr. Joseph Dade, an uncle to the late Georgina Asor Botchwey details that armed with this vital information, a soldier brother of the deceased traced the suspect to a village in the Central Region where he had taken refuge and was apprehended.
He disclosed that the suspect upon interrogation confessed to the crime and revealed that the deceased had been sold to a chief in the Central Region.
“Following her disappearance, our “brother-in-law” was arrested in connection with that and he confessed that she had been sold to a chief in the Central Region, Nana Clark, but when they went there she had been killed,” Asor’s uncle said.
Spiritual Twist
The mother of the deceased, Grace Andoh, has revealed that the family sought the help of a Kumasi-based pastor to help locate her.
She disclosed that the pastor mentioned the name of the suspect as the one behind her daughter’s disappearance, but they were sceptical until he confessed to the crime.
“Following the disappearance of my daughter, a pastor in Kumasi disclosed to me that my elder daughter’s fiancé is the one behind her disappearance. Initially, we did not want to believe it until he was arrested and he confessed to it,” the mother added.
Family in Shock
Grace Andoh also disclosed that the family is shocked by the sudden turn of events considering that the suspect is a son-in-law to be.
“The family is in shock, and we could hardly believe that our future son-in-law could do this to us. We least expected him to be behind this act”.
Demand for Money
GhanaWeb can confirm that the suspect demanded an amount of GHC15,000 from the family to perform some rituals to help find her, but the family refused to pay.
Knocking ceremony and missing money
Interestingly, it has emerged that when Michael Darko Amponsah visited the family in Yeji to perform the knocking ceremony two years ago, he complained of his missing GHC30,000 from his bag.
The family of the prospective nurse trainee who was kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried in Mankessim has made a shocking revelation about the prime suspect.
Georgina Asor Botchwey’s relatives revealed that the pastor is known by the family since he is the boyfriend of the deceased’s sister.
According to the family, the 22-year-old’s sister had informed her boyfriend that her sister was at Ankaful Nursing Training College for an interview.
JoyNews’ correspondent, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reports that the pastor then called Miss Asor Botchewy and asked to meet her.
So after her interview, the victim set off to meet her soon‐to‐be brother‐in‐law.
Unbeknownst to the victim, the pastor had connived with the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, Nana Crack, to kidnap and sexually assault her.
The two suspects then killed her and buried her in one of the chief’s apartments.
The news was widespread in the Central Region town that the deceased has gone missing for three weeks.
The notice circulating read, “Georgina Botchwey went for an interview at Cape Coast on Wednesday and up till now she cannot be found; her phone is off. Please, anybody with information about her should call 0208503126 or 0247048711.”
Following this notice, a friend of the deceased raised an alarm about Georgina meeting with her sister’s boyfriend.
The pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He subsequently led the police to the residence where Georgina had been buried and her body was exhumed.
Meanwhile, the chief who fled after reports of the arrest of his accomplice has been arrested.
The main suspect in the killing of a 22-year-old aspiring trainee nurse in Mankessim has been arrested.
The chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom in the Central Region was picked up at his hideout at Akwa Krom in the Ekumfi District.
This was after a pastor confessed to helping him kidnap, kill, and secretly bury the lady.
Police collecting evidence from the suspect’s home
Mankessim District Police Command arrested Nana Clark Onyaa and had him transferred to the Regional Police Command in Cape Coast to assist in investigations.
The body of Georgina Asor Botchwey was exhumed by the pastor and police investigators on Tuesday in the room of Nana Clark Onyaa, the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom.
According to sources, the chief, who is also the president of the Mankessim Traders Association, and his accomplice, kidnapped the nurse after engaging in sexual acts with her.
They then killed her and buried her in one of the chief’s apartments.
Police collecting evidence from the suspect’s home
The pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He then led the police to the chief’s residence, where the victim’s body was exhumed.
The victim’s body was reportedly buried nearly three weeks ago.
Along with the body, the victim’s bag, shoes, and other possessions were also found at the chief’s house.
The family of the prospective nurse trainee who was kidnapped, killed, and secretly buried in Mankessim has made a shocking revelation about the prime suspect.
Georgina Asor Botchwey’s relatives revealed that the pastor is known by the family since he is the boyfriend of the deceased’s sister.
According to the family, the 22-year-old’s sister had informed her boyfriend that her sister was at Ankaful Nursing Training College for an interview.
JoyNews’ correspondent, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reports that the pastor then called Miss Asor Botchewy and asked to meet her.
So after her interview, the victim set off to meet her soon‐to‐be brother‐in‐law.
Unbeknownst to the victim, the pastor had connived with the chief who is the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, Nana Crack, to kidnap and sexually assault her.
The two suspects then killed her and buried her in one of the chief’s apartments.
The news was widespread in the Central Region town that the deceased has gone missing for three weeks.
The notice circulating read, “Georgina Botchwey went for an interview at Cape Coast on Wednesday and up till now she cannot be found; her phone is off. Please, anybody with information about her should call 0208503126 or 0247048711.”
Following this notice, a friend of the deceased raised an alarm about Georgina meeting with her sister’s boyfriend.
The pastor was arrested in Cape Coast and admitted to the crime.
He subsequently led the police to the residence where Georgina had been buried and her body was exhumed.
Meanwhile, the chief who fled after reports of the arrest of his accomplice has been arrested.
Police in Mankessim, in the Central Region, have detained a pastor after he admitted to aiding a local chief in the kidnapping, murder, and covert burial of a 25-year-old nurse trainee.
On Tuesday, September 20, the pastor and police detectives exhumed Georgina Asor Botchwey’s body from her room in the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, Nana Crack.
According to evidence acquired by the media, the pastor and the chief abducted the nurse after having sex with her.
The two are alleged to have killed her after the acts and buried her in one of the chief’s rooms.
After being detained at Cape Coast, the clergyman confessed to the crime. The victim’s body was then exhumed at the chief’s apartment, where he then led the police.
Residents have expressed their shock and outrage at the occurrence and asked the police to see that justice is done.
The Assemblyman of the area, Cephas Authur, pleaded with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to beef up security in Mankessim and the surrounding area adding that the bizarre incident is not the first murder case recorded in Mankessim.
“This is the fifth occurrence of this kind of incident this year. I’m requesting that the police take care of the Chief and Pastor,” he said.
The body of the victim has been placed in the mortuary at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital for preservation and autopsy.
Two men onboard a KIA truck with registration number GX 89 -12 escaped death by a whisker after the vehicle caught fire at Mankessim in the Central Region.
It is unclear what caused the fire which eventually engulfed the vehicle which was carrying foams.
An eyewitness in an interview with EIB Network Central Regional Correspondent, Yaw Boagyan said smoke was detected from the foams and within a few minutes, fire quickly spread throughout the vehicle.
Seeing the extent of the fire, the driver hurriedly stopped the truck at the roadside near Obrumankoma FM a local radio station in Mankessim and fled.
Luckily, the youth around mobilized themselves and managed to douse the fire before personnel of the Ghana Fire Service arrived.
A driver and mate have both died in a gory accident on the Mankessim to Cape Coast Highway.
The accident happened at 10:30pm Tuesday evening at Saltpond, in the Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region.
The accident involved a VIP bus with registration number GT 5255 17, and a petroleum tanker in a head-on-collision.
The VIP bus reportedly attempted to overtake another vehicle but ended up colliding with the tanker driver. The bus was bound for Samreboi in the Western Region, while the tanker driver was heading towards Accra after discharging some fuel.
The driver of the bus according to eyewitnesses died instantly following the crash, but his conductor gave up the ghost upon reaching the hospital.
Assembly member for the Nkubeam Electoral Area, Saltpond, Francis Ekow Dotse said it took the Ambulance Service to cut parts of the vehicle to enable them remove the body of the conductor and that of the driver.
Three out of six passengers on board the bus who sustained injuries are currently in critical condition at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.
Meanwhile, the other victims, according to reports have been discharged early this morning after receiving treatment.
A photo making rounds on social media sees some male students of Mankessim Senior High School smoking wee on campus as if their lives depend on it.
The 5 students as seen in the photo and in their uniform, had their pieces in their hands seemingly ready to administer them.
One could also be seen injecting himself with an unidentified substance.
The photo which has since gone viral, has many condemning their actions and calling on the school’s authorities to deal with them drastically so as to maintain the integrity of the school.
Fire has razed down portions of the Mankessim market, destroying a lot of shops and goods worth millions of Ghana cedis after Ghana National Fire service run out of water.
The raging fire started around 11:00 pm on Tuesday when traders had closed and locked up, a situation that made it difficult for the fighters to gain access to the scene. A video of the incident sighted by MyNewsGh.com shows parts of the market burning whiles traders looked on in shock.
Personnel of the Mankessim Ghana National Fire Service(GNFS) who are unable to reveal the actual cause of the fire, quickly rushed to the scene but could not get a place to park their fire tender due to the temporal fence at the Ajumako station.
Angry traders rained curses on the Municipal Chief of the area who had barricaded portions of the market for redevelopment with corrugated iron roofing sheets
Personnel of Fire Service later gained access to the market but run out of water and there was no nearby hydrant.
Personnel of Ajumako Fire Service came in to help douse the inferno.
Two persons have been arrested by the police for an alleged doubling money scam at Owirem near Mankessim in the Central Region.
Augustine Adjorlolo, 29, a spiritualist and Wisdom Aryee, 26, a driver, were reported to have taken GH¢7,300 from their victims (names withheld) with a promise of increasing it to GH¢500,000, but failed to fulfil their promise.
Items retrieved by the police from their home were fake foreign and Ghanaian cedis denominations and one pump action gun with 14 BB catridges,
Also found in their possession were, one KIA Picanto taxi cab with registration number GG 2240-18 and one Toyota Venza 4×4 with registration number GG 295-2019
The suspects are in the custody of the police assisting in investigations, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge told the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
She said on March 7, victims (names withheld) went to the Nima Divisional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and reported that they have been defrauded of GH¢7,300 with a promise of doubling it to GH¢500,000 but failed to deliver.
DSP Tenge said on March 15, the two suspects were arrested at Owirem and a search in one of their rooms also led to the discovery of a black hand bag containing bundles of papers cut in the sizes of United States dollars and various Ghana cedis denominations.
She said the exhibits were in the custody of the police, adding that suspects would be put before court soon.
Two suspected armed robbers were on Sunday gunned down during a shootout with the police at Mankessim in the Central Region.
The deceased have been identified as Nathan Kwaku Baidoo, alias Kingkong, and Isaac Addo Mensah, also known as Almera
They were said to be among 13 others who engaged the police in a shootout on January 16, 2015, at New Bortianor junction, resulting in the death of Lance Corporal Akata.
The Deputy Commander of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Emmanuel Afriyie Sakyi, told the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
He said on March 8, personnel from the command, on routine patrols, had information that a group of armed men had snatched two cars and heading towards Kasoa in the Central Region to Cape Coast.
ACP Sakyi said the police team pursued the robbers and on reaching a spot near Eugene Filling Station at Mankessim and realising the police was closing up on them, the suspects abandoned the vehicles amidst sporadic gunshots, which resulted in the two being killed by the gunshots.
The Commander said one other suspect who sustained gunshot wounds escaped to a nearby bush with their weapon, urging healthcare specialists to report to the police any person who report to their facility with gunshot wounds.
He said the two bodies have been sent to the Police Hospital, whilst the two vehicles have since been impounded.
He said on January 16, 2015, Mensah and 12 others were arrested whilst Baidoo escaped. Mensah and his accomplices were arraigned before a court and later released on bail.
ACP Sakyi said Mensah, after he was granted bail, was involved in three separate robberies in the Accra metropolis, adding that the cases were pending before court.
The Commander said Baidoo was arrested in 2017 and put before a district court for murder and was also released on bail in February 2020.
The Central Regional Police CID has arrested one Isaac Eshun, the owner of Zen Filling Station near which a police officer was shot dead on Wednesday.
Before the incident, police officers had foiled a robbery attack at the fuel station.
Investigations were immediately launched into the murder with the Central Regional Command assisted by the Crime Scene Management Team from the Criminal Investigations Directorate at headquarters.
The team realized that the spent cartrigdes retrieved from the murder scene are suspected to have been fired from a shot gun and pistol belonging to the owner of the fuel station.
Lance Corporal Kingsley Boahene was in mufti, however, when he was killed at the scene 400 meters away from the fuel station, which is situated on the Mankessim-Kumasi road.
The police are on the heels of a second suspect “to assist with investigationsâ€.
The Central Regional Police CID has arrested one Isaac Eshun also known as Nana Nyeiku VII, the owner of Zen Filling Station where suspected shot and killed a police officer G/L/Cpl. Kingsley Boahene of Mankesim District.
Crime scene investigation conducted by the Regional CID with its Crime Scene Management Team working in conjunction with Crime Scene Management Team from the CID Headquarters reportedly found out that the spent cartridges retrieved from the murder scene are suspected to have been fired from the shotgun and pistol belonging to the fuel station.
This comes barely 24hrs after the Inspector-General of Police, James Oppong Boanuh announced a reward of GHC10,000 to anyone with credible information leading to the arrest of those who shot and killed one police officer and two others in Mankessim on Wednesday, January 2020.
Lance Corporal Kingsley Boahen was gunned down by suspected armed gunmen who exchanged fire with a group of police officers from the Mankessim Divisional Command after a botched robbery attack at ZEN Filling Station.
The deceased who was in plain clothes was said to have been on his way to work when he was trapped in the cross-fire.
The body of Lance Corporal Kingsley Boahen was found with gunshot wounds at a distance of about 200 metres away from the robbery scene, a statement signed by Central Regional Police spokesperson, DSP Irene Oppong indicated.
