28-year-old’s murder leads police to human remains at shrine in Central Tongu

The Homicide Unit of the Ghana Police Service has exhumed multiple human remains from a shrine located at Gblorkope in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, in connection with the suspected ritual murder of 28-year-old Nelson Anyana.

The operation, which forms part of an ongoing homicide investigation, has led to a breakthrough following the disappearance of Nelson, whose remains were discovered buried beneath idols at the shrine.

According to the Homicide Unit, the search also revealed three additional skeletal remains, as well as assorted human body parts believed to belong to other victims, buried in nearby bushes.

Six persons have been arrested in connection with the case and have already been arraigned before a district court in Ho.

The suspects include Augustina Fiawoyife, unemployed; Wisdom Hedidor, an herbalist; and Courage Bedzo, a kente weaver, all residents of Mafi Adidome.

Also arrested are three siblings and shrine operators: Gblor Noah, also known as Ekpedzi, a 37-year-old fetish priest; Gblor John, 38, a security guard; and Gblor Johannes, 27, a lotto writer.

According to police investigations, the case was triggered after Comfort Hatse, a trader from Donkorkrom and mother of the deceased, reported him missing on December 17, 2024.

She told the police that her son had left home on December 4 to meet the first suspect, Augustina Fiawoyife, and never returned.

“It was later discovered that Augustina was in a relationship with the second suspect, Wisdom Hedidor, who had grown jealous over his ongoing relationship with the deceased and hatched the scheme to kill him, which was executed according to plan,” police disclosed.

Investigations revealed that sometime before the incident, the fourth suspect, Gblor Noah, allegedly sought to purchase a human body for ritual purposes in exchange for a large sum of money.

The request was passed on to Hedidor by Courage Bedzo, who agreed to the plan.

On December 12, 2024, Augustina is said to have lured the victim to a secluded location near DC Bungalow, a suburb of Adidome. While the victim engaged her in conversation, Hedidor and Bedzo allegedly emerged from hiding and strangled him to death. Augustina reportedly witnessed the act but did not intervene.

The suspects then contacted the fetish priest, who reportedly arrived at the scene with the sixth suspect, Gblor Johannes.

The two allegedly purchased the body for GH¢7,000 and transported it to the Gblorkope shrine, where it was reportedly used for ritual purposes and later buried under one of the shrine’s idols.

Following the recovery of Nelson’s remains and others yet to be identified, all six suspects have been charged with abetment of crime, to wit, murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Police have assured the public that forensic tests are underway to help identify the additional remains and possibly link the shrine to broader ritual killing activities in the region.

The disturbing revelations have sparked outrage among residents, with growing calls for thorough investigations and justice for the victims.

The Ghana Police Service has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing the case to its logical conclusion, pledging to ensure that all perpetrators are held accountable.

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