Corpse left to decompose as family fears spiritual attack

Residents of Kona, in the Sekyere South District of the Ashanti Region, face a health risk as family of a deceased woman refuse to bury her corpse and leave it to decompose.

Relatives believe they could pay a spiritual price if they bury the body without approval from a fetish priest, who assigns spiritual reasons to the death.

Forty-five (45) year old Afua Adomah died five days ago, and her body has been left to decompose in a six-bedroom house, near the local police station.

Family members will not touch the body out of fear until rituals are performed to pacify the gods.

A river deity at Bipoa near the district capital, Agona, is believed to have struck the deceased about five months after her brother, Kofi Agyemang, consulted the oracle to establish the reason for his supposed financial problems.

Fetish priest, Yaw Gyasi’s gods are demanding Ghc 4,000 to perform rituals.

Not even an order from the Agona District Police Command could compel the family to bury their dead relative.

Residents in the town have been forced to endure the smell from the almost decomposing body, with an army of flies visiting the house.

A few daring ones entered the house in which she lay, to catch a glimpse of the remains of a mother of three lying on her side.

An aunt of the deceased, Afua Fofie, tells Nhyira News there is nothing the family could do under such circumstance.

The body had not been attended to as at 8 p.m Monday, with no sign of when it would be buried.

Meanwhile, Nana Gyasi later slaughtered two fowls at his shrine at Bipoa to pacify the gods, and to pave way for the burial. Even then, the presence of the gods had to be sought.

The gods agreed to the family’s request to perform the burial service and come later to settle the fee or face further catastrophe.

Later in an interview, Nana Gyasi blamed the family for all the inconveniences.

Story by Ghana/Nhyira FM/Ohemeng Tawiah