Tension has erupted at Nkotompo, a fishing community in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region, after residents held a group of young men suspected to be engaged in “sakawa” rituals, hostage.
Sakawa is a Ghanaian term for illegal practices which combine modern Internet-based fraud with African traditionalist rituals.
The incident occurred on August 23 when the group, numbering about ten, allegedly dropped a coffin wrapped in a sack into the sea.
According to eyewitnesses, the men, who arrived in expensive vehicles, were spotted carrying a suspicious object to the shore.
“We were here this morning when these guys driving expensive vehicles arrived at our beach. They brought something wrapped in a sack from their vehicle and dropped it in the sea. We suspect it’s the body of a human being. We are only asking them to remove it from the sea before they leave the community,” one angry youth noted.
Another resident vowed that the visitors would not be allowed to leave until the matter was resolved.
“We shall never allow them to go without removing whatever they dropped in the sea. They claim they are coming from Accra. Why did they not leave that sack in any sea while on their way but decided to drop it here? We will never understand until they remove it from the sea,” he added.
The group, dressed in white attire and printed t-shirts with mystical symbols, had yellow robes draped around their necks. They included one female member.
Their presence sparked anger among residents, prompting community leaders to intervene.
Frederick Acheampong, Assembly Member for Nkotompo, confirmed the incident in an interview with Connect FM’s Omanbapa Morning Show crew.
“Residents in the community are angry. They called me this morning indicating these boys, suspected to be into ‘sakawa’, have come to our beach to drop something in the sea. Whatever it is, we do not know. They want them to remove it from the sea. We are trying to calm the angry residents down. We have also called on the chief for his intervention. The boys are in the palace, and we are trying to resolve the issue to ensure calmness,” Frederick Acheampong explained.
Leader of the group, identified as Lord Ackam, denied the “sakawa” allegations, insisting they were a spiritual society.
“We are a secret group known as the Spiritual Scientists. One of our members has passed, and as our rituals demand, we have to drop his belongings into the sea,” he clarified.
Other members supported his account, saying they had only dropped symbolic items such as rosaries, candles, and other personal belongings of the deceased into the ocean.
Traditional authorities at Nkotompo mediated the standoff at the chief’s palace to prevent the situation from escalating.
They have since been handed over to the police for further investigations.
