Weta (V/R), March 28, – The Chiefs and people of the Weta Traditional Council have expressed shock and outrage following the exhumation of the body of the late Fiator, Godfred Kwabla Kporyito Glago, popularly known as Sokpey Gatsi.
The late chief was buried on March 14, 2026, after funeral rites at Klikor, with final interment at the Ashiakpor Royal Family Mausoleum at Weta.
However, barely a day after the burial, the grave was reportedly desecrated, with the coffin broken open and the body removed by unknown persons. The remains are yet to be found.
The Traditional Council said prior threats had been issued by some individuals, warning that the body would be exhumed if the burial proceeded.
The Council has appealed to the public to volunteer credible information to assist in locating the missing body and identifying those responsible.
They noted that a similar incident occurred on September 5, 2020, when a grave was desecrated, although the body was not removed. Some suspects were arraigned before court but reportedly evaded justice, a situation the Council believes may have emboldened others.
The chiefs have called on the Ghana Police Service to act swiftly to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In response to the incident, the Traditional Council, together with fetish priests, Asafo groups, and community members, performed pacification rites on Saturday to cleanse the land and invoke ancestral spirits against those behind the act.
At the ceremony, Torgbui Akpo Ashiakpor VI, Paramount Chief and President of the Council, criticised the handling of the case by security agencies, alleging that suspects initially arrested had been released under unclear circumstances.
He questioned what he described as “orders from above,” referencing recent remarks by President John Dramani Mahama rejecting interference in law enforcement.
“Ghana is governed by law, and everyone is subject to it. If the police fail to enforce the law, they will lose the moral authority to act,” he said, warning that the chiefs would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
The Paramount Chief described the incident as offensive, provocative, and deeply disturbing, stressing the need to uphold the dignity of the dead.
Hunua Sariki Alordorlawonyor, Chairman of Fetish Priests in the Traditional Area, also distanced his group from the incident.
“We have never witnessed such an act in Weta. We are not involved in this, and such blame should not be placed on us,” he said.
He explained that fetish priests are traditionally engaged in healing practices and not acts of desecration, adding that they stand with the chiefs in seeking justice.
He assured the community that through traditional processes and spiritual rites, the truth would eventually be revealed.
The pacification rituals included the pouring of libation and invocation of ancestral spirits at Weta Junction, the graveside, and the Traditional Council grounds.
Residents have called for unity and vigilance, urging all to support efforts to protect the sanctity of their customs and prevent further acts of desecration.
GHBUSS
28 March 2026
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