Vice Chairman Sermon’s 30 Deities to Judgement Duty as Phone-Snatcher Claims Spark Spiritual War
By Prince Ahenkorah
The newly elected First National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kojo Fosu Boadu, popularly known as ‘Kojo Bamba’ or ‘Machoman’, has been forced onto the defensive after being accused of once operating as a phone snatcher at the Kejetia Market in Kumasi.
Rather than head to court, the controversial politician has responded with a spiritual warning threatening to drag his accusers before no fewer than 30 deities (‘abosom’) and ancestors to have them killed, crippled or driven mad.
The accusations emerged days ago from elements within and outside the NPP, who labelled the party’s national executive officer a former petty thief. According to his accusers, Bamba used to snatch mobile phones from traders and patrons at the notorious Kejetia Market, disguising himself with a mask to carry out the attacks.
His accusers have stood firmly by their claims, daring him to dispute them and warning that “heavier dossiers” would be released if he does not focus his attention on his new role.
One of the accusers, identified as Alex Tetteh, claimed he knew Bamba personally during their years in Kumasi and insisted the allegation is grounded in fact.
“Kojo, you know we were all a group. What I would tell you is, don’t let certain things weigh you down. Everyone has a past I have my past, but I don’t have a bad past. So if God has lifted you and your past has been played out, don’t be offended and reply. This is just the beginning,” Tetteh said.
He continued: “You know very well that I am a Kumasi boy. I lived at Atonsu Anima Hospital area. We have lived at Magazine, we have lived around Railway. So stop, so you don’t offend people. We know more than you. I have driven ‘Bomplex’, timber trucks, tipper trucks and tankers. Don’t assume you know more than me. If I want to worsen your situation, I will pull out evidence and you will not be the only one in trouble.”
Tetteh went further, challenging Bamba to prove his election was not rigged.
“The money you paid during the election if you say the election was not rigged for you, call the same gods with schnapps and eggs and curse yourself that you did not rig the election, to exonerate yourself. The people you paid 200,000 to, and promised 10,000 a month if what your accuser says is untrue, let it happen to me. To show that you are serious.”
But Bamba, who is the founder and leader of the now-defunct Delta Force the vigilante group that once stormed a Kumasi circuit court to free some of its members while they stood trial has vehemently denied the allegations.
In an angry video rebuttal, he denied ever snatching phones at Kejetia Market and warned his critics to desist or face his wrath through traditional spiritual means.
“I am summoning them to our gods, our ancestors, my late father, my great grandfathers, to come and substantiate where they saw me stealing phones at Kejetia where they saw me wearing a mask to attack someone,” he declared.
“Those who will be crippled, the ancestors will cripple them. The time is coming, and I will do it and it will not be as if it won’t work on them; it will. I will not go to court. I will summon them to the court where they will substantiate.”
He continued with a chilling warning: “Those making the claims I know there are some who are under this live and defaming me. They had better change, or when the time comes and I slaughter in their name, those people will regret their actions. The person pushing them, if I slaughter and the blood is on them, they cannot hide. They can go to any deity it will not be reversed.
Those that deserve to die will die; those that deserve to rot will rot; those that should be crippled will be crippled; those that need to go mad will go mad. Believe it or not the earlier, the better.”
Bamba also challenged his accusers to involve their families in their claims, saying: “The person pushing you to say this tell them to use their mother, wife and children to come and say this to me, Kojo Bamba. I fear no one.”
The NPP chairman also dismissed reports that he is reorganising party youth and arming them with weapons, describing the claims as baseless.
“Do I sell guns? NPP went for an election and elected me, and people are going crazy over it, spewing falsehoods,” he said. “Someone even said he used to buy food for me that I am his boy. Look at this nonsense. When did I become your child?”
According to him, a deliberate agenda has been underway since his election to tarnish his reputation with false information.
Notably, Bamba said he has no intention of reporting his accusers to the police, insisting he would rather rely on spiritual intervention.
“I will not report you to the police, because it is your government that is in power,” he said. “Mine is to summon you to the gods and the deities — I will give you to the rivers, 30 deities across us. Whoever defames me will die one hot afternoon.”
He added: “The lies you are peddling cannot discourage me. If you don’t take care and we get to that stage, you may have to bring your entire family to plead.”
His response has amused many observers, particularly given the NPP’s own history. The party famously went biblical in the lead-up to the 2012 elections with the catchy slogan “The Battle is the Lord’s” and critics find it ironic that a First Vice Chairman marketed as a ‘macho man’ brought in to protect the party would, at the first sign of accusation, retreat to the ‘abosom’.
Many argue that if this is his reaction to mere allegations, then Kojo Bamba has failed his first test as a national officer of the party.