The docket regarding the alleged murder of a seven-year-old Spendylove Adjei for rituals at Wassa Nkyirifi in the Western Region by his uncle Augustine Afari has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for legal advice.
It was reported that Spendylove Adjei was with his father at Wassa Agyakuso but was later sent to her grandmother, Abena Obenewaa, at Wassa Nkyirifi to attend school.
However, Spendylove fell ill and couldn’t go to school.
On the day of the murder, the grandmother left Spendylove in the custody of her son, the uncle of Spendylove, Augustine Afari.
Upon the grandmother’s return at about 2:00 pm, she could not locate her grandchild.
When she asked the suspect Augustine Afari about the child’s whereabouts, the suspect said he also left Spendylove at home to buy something in town; hence he could not account for the child’s whereabouts.
After searching the whole town for the child, she called Spendylove’s father and broke the news, asking him to come to Wassa Nkyirifi to assist in searching for Spendylove.
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They also informed the assemblyman of the area, Kenneth Boadi, about the situation.
He suggested that the family file a formal complaint at the police station to have Augustine Afari investigated.
Augustine Afari was detained and taken to Wassa Akropong Police Station at about 3 pm the same day.
He was released on police investigation bail after disputing the accusation against him during the interrogation.
On August 1, 2023, a pastor, James Coffie Nkansah, at Dunkwa-On-Offin, told the family and police that Augustine Afari had confessed to him that he had slain his niece Spendylove for money rituals.
The pastor explained that Augustine had told him that a spiritualist, Osei Kofi, instructed him to kill the girl and deliver the head for rituals.
The spiritualist also offered him an amulet as a swallowable stone and instructed him to bring sachet water for the ritual well.
Augustine stated that after the ritual washing, he was possessed and suddenly turned violent and ravenous for blood. As a result, when his ailing niece was put in his care, he repeatedly struck her with a cutlass until she died.
The body of the deceased was then taken by Afari to an abandoned galamsey pit in the bush, 120 meters from their home, where he beheaded her.
He dug a hole, buried the headless body, wrapped the head in a black plastic bag, and concealed it in the bush at he could later deliver it to the spiritualist as instructed.
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But before he could execute that mission, he was taken into custody and granted bail; as a result, he was unable to send the victim’s head as intended.
He sent the victim’s head to the spiritualist the following day at 9:00 pm but was advised to bring it back and bury it where the victim’s corpse was buried for the money ritual to be successful.
Augustine and the spiritualist were held in custody at the Wassa Akropong Police Station.
The body of the deceased was later exhumed and conveyed to the mortuary for additional examination.
The court has charged and remanded the two defendants, and the docket has been forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for guidance.
The deceased was a student of the Wassa Nkyirifi D/A Primary School.
Information gathered indicates that the spiritualist and Afari are 22 years old.