The youth of Ntonso in the Afigya Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region have begun guarding the community cemetery day and night to prevent what they describe as unauthorised burials.

The youth say they will no longer allow the burial of persons they believe are not natives or residents of the community without the approval and knowledge of local authorities.

The action follows an incident on Saturday when some residents and youth stormed the cemetery to exhume a body allegedly buried without the community’s consent.

The residents suspected that the deceased was not from Ntonso and insisted that such burials could no longer be allowed without proper authorisation.

Adom News reporter Kwadwo Obeng Mireku, who visited the community, was led by some of the youth to the section of the cemetery where the body had reportedly been buried before it was removed.

Some youth members claimed the incident was not the first time an unidentified or unauthorized body had been buried at the community cemetery.

They were informed that the individual died under circumstances linked to criminal activity. However, they maintained that regardless of the circumstances, the community would not permit the burial of persons without prior consultation and approval.

“We heard the deceased was not from this community, and we will not allow anyone to bury strangers here without our consent. If anyone attempts to do so again, we will resist it,” one of the youth members said.

The Unit Committee Chairman for Ntonso, Shadrack Addai, expressed support for the actions taken by the youth, saying the community would continue to oppose any unauthorised burials in the cemetery.

“We have been informed that the body has been returned to the mortuary. Whoever is responsible should arrange for the deceased to be buried in his hometown and not in Ntonso,” he said.

According to Mr. Addai, residents saw an ambulance and a police vehicle entering the cemetery on the day of the burial. He said the youth later visited the cemetery, discovered that a body had been buried, and subsequently removed it from the grave.

The youth have vowed to maintain a 24-hour watch over the cemetery to ensure that no burial takes place without the knowledge and approval of the community, warning that they will resist any future attempts to conduct unauthorised burials.