File photo of police officers
Tension gripped Nkotompo, a fishing community in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region, after residents took hostage a group of young men suspected of engaging in “sakawa” rituals.
The incident occurred on Saturday August 23, 2025, when the group, numbering about ten, allegedly dropped a coffin wrapped in a sack into the sea, according to a report by 3news.com.
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According to eyewitnesses, the men who arrived in expensive vehicles, were seen carrying a suspicious object to the shore.
One resident said, “We were here this morning when these guys arrived. 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 before they leave the community.”
The group, dressed in white attire with printed mystical symbols and yellow robes draped around their necks, included one female member.
However, residents’ anger prompted intervention from community leaders.
Frederick Acheampong, Assembly Member for Nkotompo, confirmed the incident, saying, “Residents in the community are angry. We are trying to calm them down and have called on the chief for intervention. The boys are in the palace, and we are trying to ensure calmness.”
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The group’s leader, Lord Ackam, denied allegations of “sakawa” involvement, describing their society as a spiritual group.
He explained, “One of our members has passed, and as our rituals demand, we have to drop his belongings into the sea.” Other members added that the items dropped were symbolic, including rosaries, candles, and personal belongings of the deceased.
Traditional authorities mediated the standoff at the chief’s palace to prevent escalation, and the group has since been handed over to the police for further investigations, the report added.
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