Human Sacrifice

Sir Ofori Atta was a stout, pious, blue-black man who ruled over Akim Abuakwa on Africa's Gold Coast. London knew him. Once he visited King George V to be knighted for his services to the Crown (supplying soldiers and bearers) in World War I. Again he went to London on business, as a director of Akim, Ltd., a diamond mining company. He wore a heavy golden crown, a purple and gold toga. Wherever he went, a small black boy in silk knee breeches walked before him. The boy was the repository of Sir Ofori's soul. He also carried Sir Ofori's heavy ceremonial sword. A year ago Death, as it must to all men, came to Sir Ofori Atta in his ahinfie (palace).

Sir Ofori had not long been dead when his good friend Akyea Mensah, the Odikro of Apedwa, subchief of Akim Abuakwa. disappeared. The Odikro's servant and two pygmy followers also vanished. For nine months Gold Coast authorities quietly investigated. Then they arrested eight natives, charged them with murdering the Odikro. In time the eight stood in the prisoner's dock in Accra's white, sweltering courthouse. They rolled their eyes, cast covertly accusing glances at each other, sweated while witnesses testified.

One witness said he had seen the Odikro entering the late Sir Ofori's ahinfie. Another claimed that he had seen him offered a drink, then bludgeoned on the head from behind. A third had seen the Odikro, unconscious, tied in a chair with a long knife thrust between his jaws. The Odikro's blood trickled down the knife, dripped into a wooden bowl. A fourth said he had been handed the bowl of blood, ordered to paint Sir Ofori's stool with it. As the jurors could see, the stool had been painted. Fitted together, these bits of testimony spelled out the ritual of an ancient, sacrificial funeral rite.

The trial lasted 23 days. All of the defendants offered alibis. Two, in addition, claimed as proof of innocence the fact that they had been circumcised. Circumcised persons are forbidden to join in the ritual of painting stools with human blood. The seven jurors (six natives, one European) retired, scanned the exhibits, deliberated three hours. The verdict: all defendants guilty.

Last week, in Accra, eight zealous followers of Sir Ofori were sentenced to be hanged for seeing to it that he was buried with all the honors they deemed due to a man of his position.

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