Ten Ghanaian deportees arrived yesterday from Madrid, Spain, where they had served various jail sentences for drug trafficking. Others who were unlucky in their bid to make it to Spain via Senegalese waters were treated as “witches” and killed by local crewmen who attributed their inability to find their way at sea to the presence of the Ghanaians onboard the vessel.

Reports reaching the Daily Guide newspaper indicated that those murdered on the high seas by Senegalese crewmen in July were suspected of casting a spell or using ‘juju’ to confuse the crew’s compass. A preliminary investigation conducted by the Ghana Mission in Dakar, Senegal after Daily Guide’s exclusive story indicated that 25 Ghanaians were part of the 200 passengers onboard the Ghanaian-owned dug-out canoe which had set out for the voyage to Spain. A number of survivors who were interviewed by Embassy officials confirmed the killings.

The 200 passengers onboard the canoe were made up of 25 Ghanaians, 115 Senegalese, a 45-man crew and 45 Gambians.The fateful voyage commenced from the Island village of Diogue in the conflict-zone of Casamance, Senegal on 28th July, 2007. The canoe, though Ghanaian-owned, was captained by a Senegalese known as Ndugu who was supported by a crew of 45 Senegalese and 8 Ghanaians. After 11 days at sea and unable to find their way, the crew were said to have opted for mystical powers to enable them fish out who among the passengers were responsible for their plight. At the end of the mystical rituals, they blamed a number of Ghanaians whom they suspected of casting spells on the boat and its passengers. The first victim after the ritual was a certain Alex Takyi, the only passenger who could speak French amongst the Ghanaians. He was pushed out of the boat and thrown into the shark-infested sea.

The Senegalese were said to have drawn the blood of their victims, cut the tongue and later dismembered other parts of the body for ritualistic purposes. This, the mission stated, was being investigated. According to the report, other Ghanaians to suffer this fate were Yaw Tanor, Botwe and two others who were yet to be named. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the fateful journey for the Ghanaians started from Mankessim in the Central Region. It was organised by a syndicate which lured interested persons in search of greener pastures in Europe for the trip to Spain via The Gambia, through Senegal and Mauritania.

A certain Isaiah and Moses Abban who hail from Mankessim, together with other Ghanaians living in Senegal have been mobilizing clients through phone calls for the trans-Atlantic voyage to Europe. The journey from Mankessim, the report continued, was undertaken on public buses between the Central Regional town and the Gambia. The fateful voyage commenced from the Island village of Diogue in the conflict-zone of Casamance, Senegal on 28th July, 2007.When land was finally sighted, 20 terrified Ghanaians onboard the canoe, alongside other nationals, opted to terminate the voyage, jumping off the boat. Upon their disembarkation, the Mauritanian Police assisted them to contact the Red Cross Society in Rousso in Northern Senegal, which later hired vehicles for them to return to Dakar on Sunday August 13, 2007.

One Ghanaian who sustained serious injuries was however detained to recuperate, leaving 18 others to return to Dakar, Senegal. The remaining number, which decided to continue with the attempt at reaching Spain, had not been heard of. Of the 18 Ghanaians that returned to Dakar some were said to be residing with friends and relatives, while others had returned to Diogue and Ghana. Daily Guide broke the news about the murder on the high seas last week after the sole survivor, Agyeman had the tragic news conveyed to the Ghana Mission through a relative in Amsterdam.

Joe Kwao, whose brother was one of those slaughtered, alerted the Ghana Embassy in The Hague which also passed on the information, sparking off investigations into the matter. In a related development, the Ghana Mission in the Spanish capital of Madrid has reported that two Ghanaian stowaways have been discovered onboard a vessel, Danica Brown, on the high seas. One of the stowaways was dead at the time he was discovered. Mustapha Idrisu a.k.a. Frank Baidu and his details were provided by the survivor who was his companion. According to the information provided by the survivor who goes by the name, Daniel Arthur, the deceased resided at the Tema barracks in the Greater Accra region.

However, it was not stated which barracks he lived in. Documents found on him included a Ghana Dock Labour Company Worker Identification numbered DK043348 (Valid until 31/12/2008) and a GPHA Security No. 0D0390 from Tema Port Security. It was discovered that the vessel boarded by the deceased, left Tema Port laden with a cargo of cotton. The Ghana Mission asked for assistance in locating the family members of the deceased so that instructions could be obtained about how to dispose of his mortal remains before the vessel arrives at its destination on a date which elapsed last Wednesday, 22 August 2007.