Sakawa Snakes Criminal

Mrs. Vivian Nuhu

The Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission says it is illegal for persons to possess and keep wild animals like snakes as pets in their homes unless a permit has been issued by the Executive Director of Wildlife, formerly Chief Game and Wildlife Officer.

It is also a breach of the law to use them for trade such as money doubling or 'sakawa' and for other spiritual purposes without permission from the same authority.

The measure is to protect all non-domesticated animals from being collected, killed, trapped or traded. Licenses obtained to deal in any of the aforementioned are not transferable and expires in a period of six months.  

It is clearly stipulated in the amended Wildlife Conservation Regulations of 1971 (L.I. 685) that the Executive Director, in granting a license under this section, would indicate the conditions under which the wild animal should be kept in terms of feeding and other things required by law.

“Any person who contravenes any of the provisions or regulation 6A or 6B, commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or both,” it said.

According to , Public Relations Manager at the Wildlife Division, the type of snakes allegedly being used as money producing machines is the Royal Python.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE about the recent mysteries surrounding the infamous 'sakawa' business, she pointed out that due to its calm nature, mallams, magicians and other spiritualists, used them as baits to swindle innocent but hungry-for-money individuals.

Such snakes are kept at shrines, homes and at times secret places where no one could have access to.

When in its natural habitat, a python feeds on mice, day-old chicks and rats but if it is in a different environment, it does not get such meals regularly as expected; it becomes weak and eventually dies.

Her observations were that if generally snakes could indeed be used for rituals such as human beings turning into them; why not try the use of Cobras since they are also snake types.

Spiritualists, Mrs. Nuhu noted, run away from the use of Cobras for fear that they could be harmed, hence the relative resort to non-poisonous ones like the Royal Python.

She hinted however that the use of animals for evil or witchcraft practices do not promote their conservation, calling on those engaged in such activities to desist from it.

In the interim, she said that it is never true that human beings could be turned into snakes unless people still go by superstitions, stressing that these are common psychological pranks for people to fall prey to.

Although spiritualism existed, she stated that there has not been any scientific proof which suggested human beings could be changed into snakes.

Mrs. Nuhu saw the situation as the real 'sakawa', aimed at cheating innocent people.

“If really people can turn into snakes then they can equally turn into anything else and we would not be safe,” she added.

Asked if the Division would go in for the snakes, she said no, since they would serve as evidence in police investigations.

“We would be interfering with investigations if we go out there to get them and because we have not had any report from the police to do so,” she explained.

She further noted that should the case be reported to them and their investigations proved that those animals were possessed illegally then the person or persons involved would be charged by the powers vested in them under Act 685.

In last Friday's edition of DAILY GUIDE, it was reported that two out of four young men, whose desire for riches led them to the shrine of one Nana Ogya at Aburi New-Town, in the Eastern Region and purportedly turned into snakes for failing to put menstrual pads of their girlfriends into some ritual pots, which were given to them by the fetish priest.

The four, Kofi Adjei, 28, Kwame Tetteh, 28, Yaw Goro, 26 and Filco, 23, are said to be masons and hailed from Sakyikrom except Filco who emanated from Teacher Mante in the Eastern Region.

Filco and Goro had earlier told DAILY GUIDE that they had done everything possible to be rich but were still poor and got envious of their friends who rode in big cars.

They therefore decided to go for ritual money and were subsequently introduced to Nana Ogya at Aburi New Town, who is allegedly on the run.

When they consulted the fetish priest, on May 27, 2009, they were charged GH¢500.00 each.

Since they did not readily have the money, they left and promised to bring it during their next visit by which time they would have brought the menstrual pad, which was demanded of them by Nana Ogya.

Two weeks ago, the four went to Nana Ogya with money but it was only Filco and Goro that fulfilled the other side of the bargain by producing the menstrual pad.

When Nana Ogya asked why the two others failed to comply, they remained silent and never gave any explanation.

Nana Ogya reminded them of an earlier warning that they could become animals or die for flouting his orders.

The priest however performed the money-making rituals and gave back the pots to the four for safekeeping in their closets with the assurance that Goro and Filco will start enjoying their money two weeks after by which time the money-making-spirits would have been invoked.

On Tuesday July 21, 2009 however, the homes of Kofi and Kwame became a gory spectacle to behold when their relations started shouting for help over the sudden transformation of their kins into Royal African Pythons.

Filco and Goro had to disclose the secret behind the snake-men. However, the two also became dumb soon after.

Quickly, the parents of the snake-men who had heard of one Mallam Fatau at Ablekuma, Accra, headed for his sanctuary with the hope of having their kins turned back into humans while the other two healed of their dumbness.

The snakes, which were then in a clay pot had vomited huge sums of foreign currency mainly dollars.

By Nathaniel Y.Yankson