Residents of Adawieman, a suburb of Botianor New Town, near Weija in Accra, woke up to a report that a resident of the area had buried his wife at his house because he could not afford a fitting burial and funeral for her.
The news, which spread through the community, led to the arrest of the 45-year-old man, who is believed to have buried the woman near a septic tank in his house, after some neighbours who described themselves as concerned citizens had made an official report to the Weija Police.
The suspect, Kobina Chawudi, popularly referred to by neighbours as Efo, allegedly kept his wife’s body in their bedroom in a house in which they lived as caretakers for three days after she had died. The wife, identified as Esi Avorkpor, 41, affectionately referred to as Daavi, was a native of Akatsi in the Volta Region.
Although the two are said to have lived together for the past 12 years, Chawudi is said to have told the police that he did not know any of Esi’s relatives, hence his inability to inform them about her death.
The two had no children together, but Chawudi has five children.
Chawudi is a mason, while his wife was unemployed.
The police are yet to obtain a coroner’s inquest from the court to enable them to employ the services of a pathologist to exhume the body.
Neighbours
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Mrs Afia Tenge, said Chawudi was arrested after some residents had reported to the police that they suspected he had buried his wife in the house.
Esi is said to have fallen ill for some time, but after a while neighbours who tried to find out how she was doing could not get any positive response from Chawudi.
He said after monitoring the house, the neighbours realised Esi was not in the house, leading to the suspicion that she might have died.
Chawudi is said to have told the police during interrogation that his sick wife died on April 13, 2016 but because he did not have money, he kept the body in their room for three days.
Later, the police said Chawudi claimed he decided to bury the body in their house.
Personal effects
Sources close to the Weija Police told the Daily Graphic that Chawudi had disposed of Esi’s belongings.
It is, however, unclear whether Chawudi burnt the personal effects or he buried them.
A neighbour who spoke to the Daily Graphic said Chawudi usually weeded around the house “and so no one would have suspected him if he was seen digging a grave to bury his wife”.
He said the two were the only persons who lived in the house but they maintained a good relationship with all their neighbours and “that is why most of us wanted to know how Daavi was doing after we found out that she was sick”.
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