60-year-old woman shot dead over witchcraft accusation

Locals claim that two young men in Janga, in the West Mamprusi Municipality, shot and killed Musah Azaratu Poanaa, 60, for allegedly attempting to bewitch a local resident.

Eyewitnesses claim that the males who are thought to be the sons of the dead, whom the deceased was supposedly attempting to bewitch, killed the lady.

Musah Asana, the deceased’s daughter, claimed that when the attackers entered their home and began shooting warning bullets, she was in the room with her brothers.

“They were two so, one gave a warning shot and brought my mother out [from the room] and shot her,” Asana told Asaase News.

“They said my mother was a witch. Today [24 September] they killed my mother but it was yesterday [23 September] that they came to the house and said, my mother was going to kill their father, so because of that, they will also kill my mother,” she added.

Abila and Fatau, two young lads, have been requested to be detained by the police by Asana.

“They have not arrested them yet. They went to their house and they ran away. I just want them [the police] to arrest them and jail them for life,” she added.

Regarding this, the police have declined to comment.

The anti-witchcraft bill is presently up for consideration in Parliament. In Ghana, charges of witchcraft and other associated offenses would be made illegal if the law is enacted, among other things.