Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Koforidua

A 23-year-old woman, Aishetu Gariba, has become the latest victim of the underworld business of money doubling and “sakawa” which is fast expanding in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, and the country as a whole.
Aishetu was driven by the urge to get rich quick but her big dream turned into a nightmare when she fell into the trap of two self-styled spiritualists who promised to multiply her GH¢150 many times over instantly.
After an initial agreement to undergo the needed rituals, Aishetu gave up when the processes got scary. She then sought refuge at the New Juaben Municipal Police Command where she reported the scam to the commander in charge.
But that was not before the suspects in the deal, Ibrahim Abass, 20, and Latif Awudu, 21, both residents of Koforidua, had vanished with the GH¢150.
Confirming the story to the Daily Graphic, the New Juaben Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent John Naami, said the suspects would be arraigned soon to answer charges of fraud by false pretences.
According to information available to the police, Awudu and Ibrahim went to Aishetu two weeks ago to introduce themselves as spiritualists who could make her rich overnight.
They claimed that she could become rich provided she could provide an empty Key soap packing case for them to cover with red and white linen to be placed in her room and from which she would collect the conjured money daily.
According to Supt Naami, the two men convinced the woman that after they had performed some rituals on the empty packing case, it would be filled with money to be collected every day.
He stated that when Aishetu brought the packing case, Ibrahim placed a plastic bowl containing water near the empty packing case and took some money from the water.
Supt Naami said Ibrahim then covered the empty packing case with the red and white linen and requested Aishetu to put GH¢50 into an envelope to be dropped into the packing case.
The packing case was then kept in Aishetu’s room, but instead of conjuring the money, Ibrahim rather asked her on different occasions for various sums of money amounting to GH¢150.
After some time, the second suspect, Awudu, asked Aishetu to produce three black cowries to continue with the rituals. When she failed to do that, she was ordered to give them GH¢50 to save her two children from dying.
It was at that stage that Aishetu got scared and reported the matter to the police, who arrested the two men.
At the police station, Ibrahim told the police to allow him to take a bath, after which the policemen would get a lot of money. But the police declined the offer.