Police Detain Four in Witchcraft Killing Probe
Four individuals, Suuk Jakwa, 67; Banyiwoo Ntookwib, 32; Moapya Kwayaja, 30; and Amos Nlaji, 29, were arrested on July 14, 2025, by the North East Regional Police Command for the lynching of 70-year-old Noab Bilatukin in Sangbana, Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District, on July 10. Accused of witchcraft, Bilatukin was attacked and killed by a mob alleging she cast spells, as reported by Graphic Online.
North East Regional Police PRO DSP Robert Anabiik Anmain confirmed the arrests, stating the suspects, apprehended from hideouts around Bunkpurugu, are aiding investigations. Others involved remain at large. Anmain condemned the act, urging the public to avoid mob justice and witchcraft accusations, which are illegal under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, and promised justice for all culprits.
The incident follows a pattern of witchcraft-related violence in northern Ghana, with Amnesty International noting hundreds of victims, mostly elderly women, face attacks or death. A 2020 lynching in Kafaba led to arrests, and a 2025 Amnesty report urged criminalizing witchcraft accusations, with a bill reintroduced in February 2025.