Akwasiase (Ash), June 17 - A large crowd rushed to the cemetery at Akwasiase, near Tepa in the Ahafo-Ano North District on Tuesday morning, when news broke out that masons working on a tombstone on a grave had uncovered a small wooden box containing a live black pigeon and a paper on which there were names of four people buried at the cemetery. The pigeon suspected to have remained in the grave for three days is at the moment being taken care of by one Mohammed (alias Old Type), a trader at Tepa and arrangements are being made to send it to Kumasi Zoological Gardens.

Briefing Ghana News Agency, Mr Kwabena Nsia, 65, a farmer, said their late mother Grace Afua Fofie died in June last year at the age of 120 and in preparation towards the annual funeral ceremony on June 15, the family contracted FOFO TOMBSTONE & TILES WORKS based in Kumasi to construct a tombstone on the grave of their mother. He explained that a mason, who was using a shovel to collect sand near the grave, struck an object, which turned out to be a small wooden box containing the life pigeon and the list with the names - Philip Bonsu; Tabi Boakyewaa; Anthony Obeng (Depot Keeper) and Amoah. The people in the town said none of the persons mentioned was known in the area, neither did they know the person who did that and the motive behind the action.

Mr Kofi Amuzu, the leader of the masons, collaborated the story of Mr Nsia but said they would not be deterred by what they saw and continued with their work.