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A 75-year old woman, Madam Abena Odi, who was dehumanised on a fetish priest’s allegation that she had killed her brother has returned home, one year after the incident, which also saw her house demolished.

Through the efforts of the Koforidua office of the Ghana News Agency, which first broke the story last year; the benevolence of the Member of Parliament for Okere, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe; and the Akuapem North Municipal Chief Executive, Mr George Opare-Addo, the community leaders mobilised resources to put up a two-roomed house, which made her return possible.

It would be recalled that last year, the GNA carried a story of a woman who was accused by a fetish priest of killing her 68-year old brother, claiming the gods revealed that to him.

Led by the fetish priest, the youth beat the old lady and stripped her naked. They also demolished her house.

A daughter of the victim, consequently, sent the woman to Koforidua to live with her until a good Samaritan informed the GNA of her plight and took the matter to the appropriate quarters.

The daughter and her family were squatters at the defunct Railways Station at Koforidua.


Following the GNA’s appeal, Madam Odi was issued with a medical form to seek medical attention at the Koforidua Central Hospital, where she was detained and treated.


Mr Botwe paid for the cost of treatment, while the funds mobilised through the GNA’s appeal provided for her upkeep and the rebuilding of her home.

The chief of the village, Nana Henaku Amoyaw, praised the GNA for mobilising support and Police assistance to enable the woman to return to the village, saying without the Agency’s intervention Madam Odi could have died.

He said the GNA had given practical meaning to journalism by not only voicing out the plight of the woman but making sure that the right thing was done.

He expressed the hope that the GNA's example would be emulated by other media houses to bring hope to society.


The chief gave the assurance that the unfortunate incident would never happen again and said the perpetrators of crime had left the village.

However, two persons have been arrested, while Police investigation continues.