The Afife Agamefe Shrine has strongly denied allegations that it demanded a human being be placed in servitude to the gods as part of traditional rites connected to an ongoing family dispute.
The clarification follows public concerns surrounding a longstanding matter linked to alleged spiritual directives and customary rites involving the Nyigbla deity worshipped at the shrine.
According to reports, the dispute originated after some individuals allegedly set fire to a woman’s house, resulting in the destruction of property. In response, the woman reportedly invoked the wrath of the gods at the shrine in search of spiritual justice.
Years later, Dziwornu, who was said to be the son-in-law of the woman after marrying her daughter, reportedly died and was buried by the family. Subsequently, two other individuals also passed away. Following the deaths, the family consulted traditional oracles, where it was allegedly revealed that the deceased persons had participated in the earlier burning incident, which was believed to have spiritually contributed to their deaths.
The family later approached the shrine seeking guidance on how to retrieve and bury the deceased persons from the mortuary. However, controversy arose after claims emerged that the shrine was demanding a human being be surrendered into servitude to the gods before the bodies could be released for burial.
Concerned by the allegations, the Duamenefa Foundation initiated preliminary investigations into the matter and involved the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for public education and clarification on the legal implications of such practices. CHRAJ reportedly indicated that any form of human servitude, if proven, would be unconstitutional.
Responding to the allegations, the shrine firmly denied ever requesting human servitude. According to the shrine, its directives to the family were limited to compensating the woman whose house was destroyed, rebuilding the damaged property, and presenting two bottles of alcohol as part of customary rites to pacify the gods.
The shrine explained that these traditional processes were necessary to facilitate the release of the bodies from the mortuary for burial and also help reduce mounting mortuary expenses.
The clarification was provided by Ametsitsia Kunaki, who spoke on behalf of the shrine priest, Torgbi Agama.
Following the clarification, the Duamenefa Foundation advised the affected family to continue engaging the shrine elders and traditional authorities in order to resolve any misunderstanding surrounding the matter.
However, the family later returned with a different account after subsequent consultations with the shrine and traditional authorities. According to the family, they were informed that a monetary payment would first be required to consult the Nyigbla deity, after which the final spiritual directives would be determined.
The family argued that this appeared inconsistent with the shrine’s earlier explanation that only restitution and two bottles of alcohol were required before the deceased could be released for burial.
After receiving the differing accounts, the Duamenefa Foundation again contacted the shrine for clarification. The shrine maintained that it had never demanded human servitude and insisted that its original position remained unchanged, suggesting that the confusion may have resulted from miscommunication by the affected family.
The issue has since attracted attention from opinion leaders and members of the public, many of whom have stressed the importance of effective communication between traditional authorities and affected families when handling sensitive disputes involving spiritual claims and customary rites.
Some observers have also called for structured mediation processes to prevent misunderstandings capable of escalating tensions within communities.
Meanwhile, the Duamenefa Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to peacebuilding and conflict resolution, urging all parties to remain calm and cooperate with both traditional and institutional processes aimed at resolving the dispute.
Following the latest clarification from the shrine, the Foundation also engaged Torgbi Agbodemegbe III to respond to concerns raised by representatives of the shrine.
According to Torgbi Agbodemegbe III, the shrine remains prepared to carry out the necessary traditional and spiritual corrections required to resolve the matter. However, he expressed concern that one side of the affected family had not consistently participated in the process and appeared reluctant to comply with some directives, thereby delaying progress toward resolution.
Reacting to the development, the Executive President of the Duamenefa Foundation, Emmanuel Ketaman Evortepe, stated that the Foundation could be compelled to withdraw from the petition if cooperation from the complainants remained inadequate.
He stressed that successful mediation largely depends on the willingness of all parties to actively participate in the resolution process and described the current situation as unfortunate.
Mr. Evortepe further disclosed that the Foundation had given the affected family until Thursday to take the necessary steps, including further engagement with the shrine to complete the required traditional corrections.
According to him, the deadline was intended to encourage seriousness and ensure that the matter is resolved properly through both traditional and institutional channels.
Mr. Evortepe also commended the Afife Traditional Area for its reputation in handling chieftaincy and traditional matters peacefully. He noted that the Foundation initially became concerned when the allegations first surfaced but believes the situation is becoming clearer as more explanations continue to emerge.
He added that continued dialogue and cooperation among all parties involved would help ensure a peaceful and lasting resolution of the dispute.
By Hutor Dziwornu, Fafaa 100.3 FM, Dzodze