A 23-year-old shrine attendant, Richard Takpa Sadzi, has been arrested at Agbozume Horkpe in the Volta region for possessing three human skulls. The suspect was arrested by the Agbozume Police on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 after he allegedly threatened to kill his uncle. Speaking to reporters in Agbozume yesterday, ASP Isaac Adatsi said at about 23.30hrs on Monday, December 15, a complaint was made to his outfit that the suspect had pulled out a cutlass on his uncle, a certain Kwesivi Takpa and allegedly threatened to kill him. ASP Adatsi said the police effected the arrest of the suspect the next day and when a search was conducted on him with the assistance of the youth in the area, three human skulls were retrieved from his shrine with the list of the19 people tied to one of the idols. Among the names on a list of names found on him were those of his ex-girlfriend and her parents, who were rumoured to have convinced their daughter to quit the relationship; a situation people believed resulted in they being Richard’s targets. The rest of the names were Comfort Ativor, Yaovi Akpa, Esi Awuku, Tomavi Kadu Lamawor, Klojiadedenawo, Yao Sadzi, a relative, Fargbe Gogah, Bedi Komi Awuvor, Atsukpui Awuvor, Agbotama Gbobo and Peter Gbobo. Others were John Sekpana, Bragra Takpa Ablevi, Prince Sosu, George Takpah, Kporkporgbo Takpa and Korsivi. According to ASP Adatsi, residents of the community had told the police of some mysterious deaths in the area. He said the suspect had already been put before court and he was to reappear on January 19, 2009. The suspect told reporters in an interview that he graduated from the Senior High School in 2005 where he offered Visual Art. He explained that he is currently a plumber and also produces batik/tie and dye in addition to his shrine job. Richard told this paper in the Agbozume police cells that the skulls were not found in his room but in the shrine which he was delegated to take of by his relatives. He explained that after school, his father who was taking care of the gods became bedridden and other relatives delegated him to take care of one of the two shrines which he mentioned as ‘Sadzi Horlu’, a family property. He hinted that he had been carrying out his new job professionally without any problem until that fateful day when his uncle who has also been delegated to oversee the goddess, the counterpart of what he was taking care of, attacked him. He said the attack resulted from the fact that the uncle envied the god in his (Richard’s) care and therefore decided to take it from him and add to his. Richard noted that as his litigant uncle’s attempts failed, he decided to report him (Richard) to the Police for him to be arrested for assault, a charge he denied. He was not happy that he was the only one arrested as he only inherited the skulls from his relatives who he suggested should have rather been arrested. He noted that he is a strong believer in God and for that matter a pious member of the Apostles’ Revelations Society (ARS) where he belongs to the church’s security that collaborates with the Police in protecting the church’s belongings during ceremonies. He indicated that had it not been for his arrest, he would have currently been at the church’s national convention. To him, there was nothing wrong with him combining fetish with his religious obligation as he sees the shrine as a good help to the society. The Police however explained that Richard’s father is very weak and therefore could not be arrested. Source: Daily Guide