Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the northern region have given the Ghana Police Service a three day ultimatum to effect the arrest and prosecution of individuals who allegedly attack and killed the 90-year old woman at Kafaba in the East Gonja municipality.
The groups, Songtaba, ActionAid and NORSAAC at a news confab in Tamale Friday 24 July, 2020, described the incident as barbaric and inhuman. The Executive Director of Songtaba, Madam Laminatu Adam, who addressed the media, said this act is a serious gender based violence situation that cannot be accepted in this 21st century when Ghana is a signatory to many international conventions and protocols to protect the lives and dignity of every Ghanaian.
“We, the CSOs in Ghana are deeply concerned and saddened that Ghana, after having made strides in the promotion of human rights and even signed onto a number of human rights charters and protocols, including the CEDAW will sit aloof and watch over this gross inhuman act meted out to this old lady” she added.
Hajia Laminatu Adam noted further that, “We are concerned that violence against women continues to be one of the most pervasive manifestations of discrimination against women and violations of their human rights in Northern Ghana for witchcraft accusations based on suspicions and allegations”.
The deceased identified as Madam Akua Denteh, a 90-year-old woman was accused of witchcraft by a seer, who had been invited by the villagers to help them drive away their misfortunes. The helpless old woman was flogged and beaten mercilessly which eventually caused her death.
In the video that went viral, scores of the inhabitants are seen unperturbed and watching the aged woman suffer the cruelty despite insisting she was innocent of the allegations against her.
As a result, the CSOs gave the law enforcement agencies 3-day ultimatum to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of this dastardly act. “CSO in Ghana is giving the police a 3-day ultimatum to effect the arrest, since the faces of the perpetrators were very visible in the video” she reiterated.
“It is rather unfortunate the perpetrators in this dastardly act are heard to be praising God saying “Allahu Akbar”. Violence has never been part of Islamic teachings and will never be and so. we therefore call on the Islamic community to speak up and condemn this unIslamic act that has been associated with a religion known to be preaching peace” she lamented. .
