Residents of Akyeremade in the Ashanti Region are reeling after the body of an 85-year-old woman was allegedly stolen from her grave and later returned without the head.
The incident occurred exactly one year after the woman’s burial, during the same week her family was preparing to mark the first anniversary of her passing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the grave was discovered tampered with on Tuesday, February 7, 2026. A gravedigger, Kwame Effah, said a colleague alerted him to signs of disturbance at the cemetery.
Mr. Effah explained that the tomb—constructed in a modern style that allows a coffin to be slid in—had been broken into.
The coffin was reportedly forced open and the corpse removed, while burial items, including the shroud, were left behind.
The matter was promptly reported to the Assembly Member for the Akyeremade Electoral Area.
A day after the discovery, the body was allegedly returned to the cemetery without the head, which appeared to have been severed with a sharp object. The bereaved family confirmed the remains as those of their relative.
The Mampong District Police Command has launched investigations, and the body has since been reburied under official supervision.
Local authorities are considering enhanced cemetery security as community members express concern over the disturbing development.