Residetns of Alata Panya, a suburb of Big Ada in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region, were on Tuesday thrown into a state of fear and shock following the discovery of the body of an aged woman in a sack.
The body of the woman, believed to be in her eighties, had her hands and legs fastened with electric wires while in a fertilizer bag, and dumped in River Volta at Alata Panya.
She also had her mouth gagged with a piece of cloth and her neck tied when she was found lying on the bank of the river.
The body has since been retrieved and deposited at the Ada East District Hospital, pending autopsy and identification.
According to residents, the woman, whose identity was not readily known, was washed ashore near the resort that morning and a resident spotted the leg of the woman in the nylon bag and raised an alarm.
Passersby were attracted to the scene by the mortal remains of the octogenarian, which were not in a decomposed state, deepening suspicion that she was killed and her body dumped into the river a short while before.
A resident told Daily Guide that they suspected a ploy to accuse members of the community in an apparent attempt by the perpetrators to conceal any evidence.
Police have assured the residents of intensified patrols in the area.
In spite of the assurance to improve security with increasing police presence, there is fear and panic among the residents.
Speaking to Daily Guide, Superintendent Timothy Daasah, Big Ada District Police Commander, described the incident as suspected murder.
According to him, investigation had been initiated into it to find the perpetrators of the heinous crime and make them face the full rigors of the law.
He further stated that steps were being taken to identify the deceased person’s family, calling on the public to furnish the police with information to assist in investigation.
The commander believed that the woman was murdered and her body dumped in the river in an attempt to conceal the crime.
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