Cudjoe Hlolary, the fetish priest accused of killing a 41-year-old woman in the Central Region, has claimed he acted under a spiritual trance that gives him an uncontrollable urge to decapitate people.
The suspect is accused of murdering Joyce Akua Amponmaa, a trader and mother of three, after she visited him for spiritual help.
Following his arrest, Hlolary reportedly told investigators that the killing happened when a “spirit” took control of him.
According to the suspect, he sometimes experiences a violent impulse to cut off human heads whenever the spirit appears.
“I always feel like cutting off a human head whenever the spirit arrives,” he allegedly told investigators, adding that he had previously struggled to control the urge.
He claimed that on a previous occasion he nearly attacked his own brother but managed to restrain himself.
The suspect also admitted that the victim was a “good woman,” but said he could not stop himself during the incident.
Investigators say the suspect allegedly mutilated parts of the victim’s body for ritual purposes.
Police are currently following leads to verify claims that some of the body parts were taken to the Volta Region and buried there.
Authorities are working with local leaders in the area to locate the alleged burial site.
The killing has shocked residents of Awutu Bentum, where the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, the family of Joyce Amponmaa has rejected the suspect’s explanation, describing the claim of spiritual possession as an attempt to avoid responsibility for the crime.
Police say investigations are ongoing.
