The Chiefs and people of the Weta Traditional Council in the Volta Region 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 held 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. The coffin was found 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 had appealed to the public to volunteer credible information to assist the family and traditional authorities in locating the missing body and identifying the perpetrators.
They noted that a similar grave desecration incident occurred on September 5, 2020, although the body was not removed in that case.
Some suspects were arraigned before court but reportedly evaded justice; a situation the Council believed may have emboldened other criminal elements.
The chiefs had called on the Ghana Police Service to act swiftly to investigate the matter and bring those responsible to justice.
In response to the incident, the Traditional Council, together with fetish priests, Asafo groups, and community members, performed pacification rites on Saturday, March 28 to cleanse the land and invoke ancestral spirits against those behind the act.
At the ceremony, Torgbui Akpo Ashiakpor VI, the 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 Dramani Mahama rejecting such 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 stated, 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 that the dignity of the dead must be upheld.
Hunua Sariki Alordorlawonyor, the 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 were 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 the invocation of ancestral spirits at Weta Junction, the graveside, and the Traditional Council grounds.
The people of Weta have called for unity and vigilance, urging all residents to support efforts to protect the sanctity of their customs and prevent further acts of desecration.
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