Residents of Mampong in the Ashanti Region are reeling in shock after unidentified grave looters exhumed and stole the body of an 85-year-old woman from a local cemetery, only to return it a day later without the head.
The disturbing incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, February 7, 2026, just days before the bereaved family was scheduled to commemorate the first anniversary of the woman’s death.
According to eyewitness accounts, the theft was discovered by cemetery workers when a gravedigger noticed that a tomb had been tampered with.
Kwame Effah, a gravedigger at the cemetery, said a colleague alerted him to the situation.
“The grave looters entered the tomb—the modern type that allows the coffin to be pushed in during burial—broke into the coffin and took away the corpse. All the articles, including the shroud, were left behind,” Mr. Effah recounted the incident to gbcghanaonline correspondent.
Drawing on his years of experience and familiarity with the cemetery, Mr. Effah said he was able to identify the specific tomb and notify the bereaved family.
He subsequently informed the Assembly Member for the Akyeremade Electoral Area.
A day after the incident was detected, the body was reportedly returned secretly to the cemetery. However, the head had been severed, allegedly with a sharp object.
Yaw Nsoh, the second of the deceased’s five children, confirmed that the body was that of his mother.
He described the incident as deeply distressing, particularly as the family had been preparing to mark the first anniversary of her passing.
“We can’t allow our mother to be desecrated like that,” Mr. Nsoh said, adding that the family had consulted a local deity and identified three suspects, though he declined to name them.
The Assembly Member for the Akyeremade Electoral Area, Kwame Nkrumah, described the incident as bizarre and unprecedented in the community.
“Among those who are aware, there is some apprehension. Maybe we need to beef up security at the cemetery. The police are investigating,” he said.
The Mampong District Police Command has taken over investigations, while the corpse was reburied under the supervision of the police and the Municipal Environmental Health Office.
Meanwhile, the traditional authority in Mampong has indicated that it has not yet been formally notified in accordance with customary practice to enable it to conduct its own inquiry before determining further action.
Police say efforts are underway to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
