Fear Grips South Tongu as Three Bodies Discovered in Two Weeks in July
- Residents of Sogakope and surrounding communities in the Volta Region are living in fear as violent killings reach alarming levels
- In July, three bodies were discovered within two weeks, with some linked to ritual activities and armed robbery, raising concerns over security
- The involvement of young men, particularly Okada riders, has intensified the anxiety, prompting calls for urgent intervention from local authorities
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Residents in Sogakope and its surrounding communities in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region are living in fear as the rate of violent killings has reached an alarming and disturbing level.
The recent discovery of three bodies within a span of two weeks in July has intensified fears among residents, who are now questioning the efficacy of local authorities and security agencies.
Source: Getty Images
Reports indicate that some of these heinous acts are allegedly linked to ritual activities, while others are attributed to armed robbery.
A particular aspect of this escalating violence is the alleged involvement of young men, particularly commercial motorbike riders, commonly known as Okada riders.
“...that is why I don't use Okada at night because they [Okada riders] can stop somewhere, rob you and leave you there. Those with the Rasta hair, I don't entertain them at all,” a ‘settler’ shop owner in Sogakope said in an interview with YEN.com.gh.
The community's growing perception is that those in charge, including the South Tongu District Chief Executive and the security agencies, are either overwhelmed by the scale of the problem or have adopted an indifferent stance.
This perceived lack of proactive response has left residents feeling vulnerable and desperate for urgent intervention.
“Now when you send your child on errands, your heart would be ‘beating’ until he is back because anything can happen. [They] are not sparing adults, so how much more children,” another resident, Soga, said, adding that “…we have a lot of police officers in the town but we don't know what they are doing.”
Fulani herdsmen loses his life
The alarming pattern of killings in the area is underscored by a series of recent incidents.
On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, a herdsman of the Fulani ethnic group was brutally murdered.
His body was subsequently retrieved by the Sogakope District Police and has been deposited at the morgue.
The very next day, Wednesday, July 2, an online driver became the latest victim of armed robbers and was found dead, further fueling concerns about the safety of commercial drivers operating in the area.
Two weeks later, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, another man’s body was discovered in an unfinished building within Sogakope itself, adding to the growing number of unsolved deaths in the district.
These discoveries were confirmed by C/Insp. Francis Gomado, head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Volta Regional Police Command.
Efforts to get details of the discoveries and the stage of investigations, however, proved futile.
Meanwhile, the South Tongu district police command has increased patrols in the constituency.
This has been confirmed by a local blogger, ‘Soga We Dey’, who told YEN that he has been seeing police patrols more often these days than before.
The increase in patrols has been corroborated by Mr. Soga, who said, “Yes, now we see a lot of them patrolling. You would see some on their motorbikes patrolling while others use police vehicles.”
Source: Facebook
Weapon discovered in immigration officer's case
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that police found the instrument that may have been used to kill immigration officer Stephen King Amoah.
During a press conference by the Criminal Investigations Department, new developments in the case were disclosed.
Amoah had been reported missing by his family on July 4 and was subsequently found dead on July 9 by police.
Source: YEN.com.gh
