Okyenhene orders removal of all alien shrines in Akyem Abuakwa

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, Overlord of Akyem Abuakwa, has ordered the removal of alien shrines linked with ritual murders, fake currency racketeering, and other violent criminal activities, in the Akyem Abuakwa area within two weeks effective May 19, 2020.

The Okyenhene has also banned all ritual activities in the community and directed all chiefs in his jurisdiction not to lease lands to immigrant traditional priests for the erection of a shrine and warned that any chief who flouted this directive would be destooled.

In a statement copied the GNA, it noted that ‘it has been observed that over the decade, there has been an unperfected influx of immigrant ritualists guise as traditional priests who have abused the hospitality of Okyeman and engaged in activities that threaten the lives of residents, social order and health of the national economy’.

This directive comes after the police on April 21, 2020, arrested suspects Christian Lawerh and Famous Adorkunu for engaging in unregulated ritual activities and alleged murder at Adeiso within the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area.

Both suspects, popularly called, Power and Scorpion hails from the Volta region but resided at a community called Maame Dede near Adeiso where they operated a shrine.

The statement indicated that ‘this incident authenticate the several reports and complaints received by the Ofori Panin palace and it exposed the gravity of the situation’ and because of this, had acted to save the image of the area.

The statement urged the police and security agencies to institute formal measures to intensify and broaden investigations to ritual murders and other criminal activities in the area, as well as retrieve all ammunitions for the safety of lawful citizens.

Source: GNA