Police retrieve buried body parts of alleged murdered trader by fetish priest
Police have retrieved all the buried body parts of Joyce Akua Ampomaa, a 40-year-old trader who was allegedly murdered at Awutu Bentum in the Central Region.
The remains have been deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy, while investigations continue, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, confirmed at a press briefing in Accra.
She disclosed that the suspect, a 25-year-old fetish priest, was arrested by the CID Homicide Unit after the mutilated body of the deceased was discovered in a bush on the outskirts of Awutu Bentum on March 10, 2026.
According to police, the Asafoatse of Awutu Bentum reported the discovery to the Jei Krodua Police Station after the body was found with the head and both legs severed. The deceased was later identified as Joyce Akua Ampomaa.
Investigations indicate that the victim had previously sought herbal treatment from the suspect in 2025 and returned on March 4, 2026, seeking further spiritual assistance.
The suspect allegedly lured her into a bush, attacked her with a cutlass, killed her, dismembered the body, and concealed the remains at different locations.
During interrogation, he is said to have admitted the offence and led investigators to sites where he buried the head at Mafi Avedo in the Volta Region and the legs at his residence in Awutu Bentum.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Adabraka District Court on March 13, 2026, and remanded into custody. The court later granted an exhumation order to support police investigations.
On March 17, 2026, the suspect led investigators to Mafi Avedo, where the victim’s head was exhumed. On March 18, 2026, he also assisted police in reconstructing the crime at Awutu Bentum, leading to the recovery of additional exhibits, including the legs and destroyed mobile phones.
At the crime scene on a cassava farm, the suspect reportedly pointed out where the attack occurred, where the body was deposited, and a pit where bloodstained items had been buried. Pathologists later recovered the legs from his residence opposite the Chief’s Palace.
Police noted that parts of the suspect’s residence and shrine had been demolished by community members, which affected the retrieval of some exhibits, including the alleged murder weapon.
COP Donkor commended officers for their professionalism and expressed appreciation to international partners, including INTERPOL, the Australian Federal Police, and authorities in Togo, for their support. She also thanked the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, for his leadership and acknowledged the media for accurate reportage.