Killers of Akua Denteh sentenced to 12 yrs imprisonment

The Tamale High Court has convicted Hajia Mohammed Serena and Latifa Bomaye to 12 years imprisonment over the murder of 90-year-old Akua Denteh at Kafaba in the Savannah Region.

On Thursday, July 23, 2020, 90-year-old Akua Denteh was lynched over witchcraft accusations.

Seven people including the chief of the Kafaba community, Seidu Yahaya, were arrested by police in Salaga.

Hajia Serena Mohammed and Latifa Bomaye were later arrested at their hideouts.

The two suspects, Hajia Serena Mohammed and Latifa Bomaye, were charged for attempted murder and murder.

The two pleaded not guilty for the two charges.

However, in April this year, defence lawyer for the two accused wrote a proposal to the prosecution to change the pleas of his clients from Not Guilty to Murder to Guilty to Manslaughter .

The lawyer, Abass Klimba Amankwah, told the court the act committed by the accused persons was manslaughter.

Akua Denteh was lynched at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region over witchcraft accusation.

She together with 17 others were seen in a viral video being tortured by a supposed soothsayer, Hajia Serena Mohammed, and her accomplice Latifa Bomaye.

The seven attackers were charged in court.

However,  five of them namely Haruna Aness, 34, Issifa Tanko, 35, Issifa Sachibu, 32, Shaibu Muntala, 29, and Sulemana Ali, 35, were acquitted after the Regional Attorney General’s Department legally counseled the police to do so.