Dodi-papase: Justice Berina Komla, a 19-year-old resident of Dodi-Kpomkpa in the Kadjebi District, has been laid to rest after spiritual rituals were performed by a fetish priest from Dayi Kwanta in Togo. The young man was struck dead by lightning while working on farmland near Dodi-Papase.

According to Ghana News Agency, the Environmental Health Officer of the Dodi-Papase community was contacted to facilitate a suitable burial site in line with public health and sanitation protocols after the spiritual rites were completed. The tragic incident occurred at approximately 1345 hours on Friday, October 17, while Komla was uprooting a palm tree.

Eyewitnesses and family members reported no signs of rainfall or thunderstorms at the time of the incident, leading to suspicions of spiritual involvement. In adherence to traditional customs, a fetish priest, believed to be the custodian of the thunder god Zakadza, was invited from Dayi Kwanta in Togo. He arrived in Dodi-Papase around 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, to perform the necessary spiritual and traditional rites for the burial.

A traditional ruler, speaking anonymously to the Ghana News Agency, revealed that the same priest had previously been consulted by Akos Anago, a sibling of the deceased, over the theft of her GHS600.00. After suspects, including the deceased brother, denied involvement in the theft, Anago allegedly sought the intervention of the Zakadza shrine in Dayi Kwanta. The thunder god allegedly identified Justice Berina Komla as the culprit, leading to the lightning strike.

Efforts to reach Ms. Anago for comment were unsuccessful, as her phone line was unreachable. The incident has triggered fear and widespread discussion across local communities, with many advocating for stronger communal unity, adherence to traditional conflict resolution systems, and deeper respect for spiritual and cultural customs.

As the community mourns, friends and relatives are struggling to come to terms with the sudden and mysterious loss of a beloved young man.