A man believed to be in his thirties has been arrested by residents of the Tindonmolgo community in the Bolgatanga Municipality after he was allegedly caught attempting to exhume a grave at the community cemetery.
The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. when some community members reportedly spotted the suspect engaging in suspicious activity near a grave believed to be about a week old.
Confirming the incident, the Assemblyman for the Tindonmolgo-Pobaga Electoral Area, Emmanuel Ayamga, said he received a distress call from the Tindaana of Tindonmolgo requesting his immediate presence at the palace. Upon arrival, he said he found the suspect surrounded by an angry crowd.
“When I got to the palace, the young man was already surrounded by residents. Information I received indicated that he had been seen scooping sand from a grave,” Mr. Ayamga said.
According to him, the act raised suspicion that the suspect was attempting to exhume a body, as the grave appeared relatively fresh. When questioned by community leaders, however, the suspect gave a different account.
The suspect reportedly told them he was new in the area and had accompanied his mother to Bolgatanga for plumbing work. He further claimed he had earlier travelled to Burkina Faso, where he was given a fowl by a man as part of a ritual for an alleged health condition.
According to the suspect, he was instructed not to crack the bones of the fowl after eating it but to pour them on an anthill. He explained that while his mother went to attend to a call of nature near a rocky area close to the Tindaana’s residence, he identified what he believed to be an anthill and attempted to dispose of the bones there.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses at the scene alleged that the suspect was not alone at the cemetery. They said he was in the company of another person who fled on a motorbike upon sighting members of the community vigilante group.
Tensions reportedly heightened as residents demanded answers from the suspect. Fearing the situation could escalate, Mr. Ayamga said he contacted the police.
“I called the police to ensure his safety, and they arrived to escort him to the station,” the Assemblyman stated.
A police investigator later inspected the graveyard and confirmed visible signs of excavation, indicating that sand had been scooped from the grave. The police reportedly documented the scene and took photographs as part of their investigations.
The incident has since unsettled residents of Tindonmolgo, with calls for thorough investigations to establish the true circumstances surrounding the matter.
The suspect, whose name is yet to be made public, remains in police custody as investigations continue.
More soon.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Joshua Asaah | Bolgatanga
