Girl 7, allegedly murdered by her father and others for rituals

Agbozume (V/R), Sept. 7, GNA - Police at Aflao are holding James Dekpey, 28, a Klikor-based kente weaver, on suspicion of conspiring with five others in murdering his seven-year-old daughter for rituals at Klikor, in the Ketu District of the Volta Region, on Saturday. The deceased, named Rose Dekpey was until her death, resided with the paternal grandmother at Glidzi at Klikor.

Also in custody with the suspect are two brothers, natives of Glidzi, Christian Akli, 26, unemployed and Nelson Mandela Akli, 38, a building contractor based at Ashiaman, near Tema.

Three others, two of them being James' own brothers, whose names were being withheld for security reasons, are on the run. Police said no missing part of the body has been identified yet, which is now in the mortuary at the Ketu District Hospital at Aflao, but stated investigation is still ongoing.

Mr Samuel Sackitey, Aflao District Police Commander, confirming the story, told the GNA that Mandela visited home on August 29, this year, and discussed with the group how they could use human blood to make them acquire wealth quickly, for which James agreed to offer his daughter, Rose.

Mr Sackitey said on Saturday September 3, this year, James led his daughter into the bush near the former refugee camp at Klikor, known also as Satsimadza, on the Aflao-Accra Highway, where the others were in ambush, in line with the arrangements agreed upon between them.

He said James confirmed that on arrival at the spot, he and others held the deceased's arms and legs firmly on the ground, while Mandela slit her throat with a sharp object, after which they threw her body away.

He said the deceased's grandmother was on the search for her when some playmates of hers, who went hunting birds in the bush, found her body with the throat slit and reported to the elders. Mr Sackitey said Mensavi Ametame, a maternal grandfather of the deceased, who saw James pass by his farm with the girl in the morning, reported the case to the police and he was picked up.

The Commander said Mandela was arrested at the Klikor Police barrier, driving towards Accra in his Opel Vectra salon car, shortly after he paid a visit to the Agbozume police station, where James was then being held.

He said a pump action gun was found in the car.

Mr Sackitey stated that the suspects would soon be put before court. Meanwhile, local sources told the GNA that the girl's father promised to provide human blood to some Nigerian customers from Accra at four million cedis, but police could not confirm this.