The prime suspect and a fetish priest in the Ningo ritual murder case has been grabbed by the police. The suspect, Addo, escaped from the jurisdiction to Fosu Abogyeseso, a village near Assin Fosu, in the Central Region, where he went to establish another shrine. Also in the grip of the police are his three wives and brother, one David, who was on the radar of the police.
Information available to The Chronicle indicates that following the paper’s earlier publication on Monday November 14, 2022 of the ritual murder, accompanied by photographs of the suspects, the family of the deceased had reports of the presence of a fetish priest at the Fosu Abogyeseso village.
The intelligence was passed on to police in Tema, who together with the deceased family embarked on an operation to smoke out the criminals involved in the murder.
Last Friday, during the Ghana and Uruguay world cup encounter, the operation team, armed with a copy of The Chronicle newspaper got to Fosu Abogyeseso to launch the operation, and as courtesy demands, the officials decided to inform the chief of the area about their presence.
The vehicle carrying the family waited till after the last blast of the referee’s whistle, when the fugitive fetish priest, Addo, was spotted emerging from a place, apparently to catch a means of transport, after having gone to watch the match.
The family of the deceased accosted him and instantly a crowd, which perceived them as criminals, attempted to pounce on them.
At this critical period, the family members brought out The Chronicle publication to justify their action.
Luckily, the policemen arrived at the scene and took charge of the criminal priest, continued to the village, only to meet his new shrine/camp empty. His wives and brother, David, upon having a hint of the arrest fled.
The prime suspect was conveyed to Tema Police station and placed under surveillance. Members of the community went to effect the arrest of the three wives and David, and handed them over to the chief. They were subsequently sent to the police at Ningo, who transferred them to the Tema Police.
The following is how The Chronicle earlier reported the story, which has now led to the arrest of the prime suspect;
The severed head of one George Osabutey, who was found murdered about three weeks ago for alleged ritualistic purpose has been exhumed from a home at Mangotsonya, near the coastal town of Old Ningo, in the Ningo Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.
At least, three persons; Michael Narteh, Prince Narwortey, alias Francis (a fetish priest) and Solomon, suspected to have a hand in the ritual case under investigation are in the grips of the police to enhance the inquisition.
The discovery and arrests are said to be major breakthrough in the investigation into the murders that rocked the Ningo Prampram District.
Information gathered by The Chronicle from both security and civil sources revealed that on Thursday, November 10, 2022 a team of crack detectives, backed by well-drilled armed men, drawn from the Tema Regional Police Command stormed Mangotsonya on a mission to retrieve the severed head of George Osabutey.
The move by the police was as a result of confession made by Michael Narteh, who was arrested, after he pulled a locally manufactured pistol on policemen, who went to seek from him the whereabouts of Addo, a fetish priest and prime suspect in the crime.
The two fetish priests, Addo and Francis, escaped from the jurisdiction as soon as the crime was committed.
Advanced police investigation led to the apprehension of Francis in Buipe, in the Central Gonja District of the Savanah Region. Meanwhile, Solomon was also nabbed at Old Ningo.
The arrests, coupled with very intensive interrogations resulted in Narteh confessing to the crime.
Addo and another accomplice, named only as David, who are currently on the run, have since been on the radar of the Police.
The investigation disclosed that the head of Osabutey was cut by Francis and that Narteh did the burial in the home of AddoatMangotsonya.
Police also retrieved the knife used in the murder from a bag belonging to Michael Narteh. It would be recalled that on Monday October 24, 2022the police in the Prampram District had a report of the presence of the headless body of an unknown female adult at the beach of Lerkpongunor, also near Old Ningo, which was subsequently evacuated to the police hospital mortuary for preservation and further action.
The following day, Monday October 25, 2022the police received a report of one George Osabutey as missing. Investigation revealed that Osabutey, a native of Ningo but resident at Dawhenya, on Sunday October 23, 2022 informed some people that he was going to see a fetish priest Addo, at Ningo, but needed to pass through Francis.
Truly, he was seen in the company of both men during a cultural group entertainment program at Ningo and it happened to be the last time that he was seen.
The inquisition landed detectives at the Old Ningo public Cemetery, where Osabutey’s headless body was exhumed.
Police, upon a tip-off, contacted Michael Narteh in his home, but he drew a pistol and threatened the peace officers, who disarmed and arrested him.
He was arraigned and remanded into police custody. A police source at Tema told The Chronicle that signals have been dispatched to the country with regard to the found headless female adult body.
