‘Old age, not witchcraft’ – Mahama’s running mate joins campaign for justice for slain 90-year-old woman

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Police in Northern Ghana is yet to make an arrest after an elderly woman was lynched at Kafaba on Thursday.

Footages widely shared online capture a group of women lynching the 90-year-old woman after a soothsayer claimed she was a witch.

Other members of the community are also seen observing the lynching in the video.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Salaga in the Savannah Region, Mohammed Tamimu, said the police only “went for the corpse and they have taken the corpse to Tamale.”

“We are waiting for the outcome of the autopsy,” he added.

The video has triggered widespread uproar amongst Ghanaians as pressure mounts on the Police to arrest and prosecute the culprits.

Songtaba, a Civil Rights Organisation in the Northern Region, is calling on the Police to swiftly arrest the perpetrators and prosecute them.

Lamina Adam, the Executive Director of Songtaba, said the “barbaric act is serious gender-based violence.”

“We call on law enforcement agencies to effect the arrest and prosecute the perpetrators in this inhuman act,” she stated.

The group gave the police a three-day ultimatum to ensure arrests, adding that such acts of violence “cannot be accepted in this 21st century.”

Running Mate for the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is also the latest to join the campaign seeking justice for the slain old woman.

In a statement, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang who described the act as “barbaric” wants security agencies to swiftly investigate the matter and bring perpetrators to face the law.

Read her full statement below;

My attention has been drawn to the most despicable act of lynching of a 90-year-old-woman at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savanna Region.

I condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric act which has left me, like many I can imagine, deeply sad, indeed.

The elderly in our society rather deserve our love and protection, not this level of unspeakable cruelty.

Old age cannot be synonymous with witchcraft. It is time to build a fair, just, and gender-sensitive society that respects and values everyone, no matter their age.

It is my expectation that the security agencies will swiftly investigate and bring the culprits to justice.

Moving forward, I hope we shall all work together to raise the level of public education to forestall such tragic occurrences. 

My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and may the soul of this unfortunate victim rest in peace.

Source: Daily Mail GH