Self-styled prophetess jailed 5 years for stealing valuables worth GHC27K

A 45-year-old self-styled prophetess and trader, Ama Salifu, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Asante Akropong Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District for stealing personal belongings and cash amounting to GH¢27,270 at Asante Abuakwa.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Gloria Mensah Bonsu, handed down the sentence after the accused pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing and was convicted on her own plea as per the Ghana News Agency.

According to Police Chief Inspector Evans Ayimbisa, who presented the facts, the convict was a known confidence trickster who used false prophetic claims to deceive unsuspecting victims.

MUST READ: Chelsea vs Ajax: Champions League Preview, H2H Stats, Lineups & Prediction

He told the court that on April 17, 2025, the convict approached Josephina Owusuaa, the first complainant, near the Abuakwa SDA junction.

Pretending to have a divine message for her, the accused instructed the victim to leave her bag—containing GH¢1,200 in cash and an iPhone XR valued at GH¢3,000—with a trader and go to a supposed woman at the Abuakwa Shell Filling Station for “spiritual directions”.

The unsuspecting victim complied, but upon returning, she discovered that the self-styled prophetess had disappeared. The trader informed her that the woman had posed as her mother and collected the bag. The matter was immediately reported to the Abuakwa Police.

READ ALSO: Real Madrid vs Juventus: Champions League Preview, Key Stats, Line-Ups & Prediction

Chief Inspector Ayimbisa added that in August 2025, the convict used a similar trick on a 16-year-old girl at the Abuakwa Market, claiming her mother, Priscilla Owusu Achiaa, was under spiritual attack and needed deliverance.

The girl led her home, where the convict collected several valuables, including 29 pieces of new garments, two Kente cloths, two pairs of ladies’ slippers, and four pieces of wax prints, all valued at GH¢20,000, as well as an iPhone 6s worth GH¢900 and GH¢170 in cash. She claimed she needed the items for “intercessory prayers”.

After collecting the items, she went into hiding until October 13, 2025, when she was arrested at Abuakwa-Manhyia. During interrogation, she confessed to the theft and admitted selling the stolen items to someone at Kumasi-Krofrom but failed to lead police to the buyer.

READ MORE: Top 10 countries with the largest prison populations in the world

Following investigations, Ama Salifu was charged and brought before the court, where she was convicted and sentenced to five years' imprisonment for theft.