Do you agree with our list? Which other towns are dangerous and why?
Ghana is a country with a rich cultural and ethnic background. The people of Ghana are diverse in several ways and hail from all walks of life. Naturally, some parts of Ghana are considered to be more dangerous and scarier than others. The rational for these perceptions range from superstitious beliefs to high rates of crimes and violence. In this article, we will be counting down the top 8 towns that are considered to be the scariest parts of Ghana.
8. Bomigo
Bomigo is a town that most Ghanaians would fail to identify on a map if they were asked to. Bomigo is a very small town situated in the Keta District of the Volta Region. The town is surrounded by the salty waters of the Keta Lagoon. It is about 146 kilometres from Ho, driving to Keta, onwards to Anloga and to Atorkor, then branching to Tunu for an about 15 minutes journey by boat to Bomigo.
Like other towns listed in this article, Bomigo has a very dark open secret: There are no female goats in the town. The town is populated by male goats only, which are able to reproduce and give birth to other male goats. It is currently unclear if this is due to a spirit or god imposing this anomaly o the land, or if it is a curse. This phenomenon has given the town a very mysterious theme and atmosphere.
7. Nkonya-Alavanyo
Over a century ago, due to territorial disputes over which of the two towns a portion of land should belong to, the people of Nkunya and Alavanyo, both in the Volta Region, got into a tribal war that has lasted for over 100 years and claimed so many lives. Despite numerous interventions by governmental bodies and several cultural institutions to curtail the dispute, the citizens of both towns start fighting again every now and again and that revives the war all over again.
This has made both towns and their environs a very scary and unsafe place to live, with citizens ever always fleeing to greener pastures. The government has on several occasions instituted curfews on the towns, which further restrict the activities of the citizens and makes their lives unbearable. Doctors, teachers and other public sector workers who are posted to the area often refuse to report to their posts or leave later on when the going gets too tough.
6. Kwame Nkrumah Circle
This circle is named after the first President of the Republic of Ghana – Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It is a central point in Accra and life never stops here. Crime rate is on the high and it is presently facing a crisis involving drug gangs. Street crimes such as muggings and theft are also common, making this an undesirable destination for most people. And please, don’t travel alone at night and be careful when buying valuable items like phones from hawkers.
5. Seva
Seva is an Island located in the Keta Lagoon in the Volta Region of Ghana. This island is important as a bird watching site because it is a stop over point for many migratory birds. The town has many attractions such as the sandy beaches, general cleanliness and local story telling in Ewe.
However, the town also has a very mysterious and superstitious cultural background. According to popular folklore, the stones on the beach of Seva cannot be carried across the sea to the mainland. The gods of the island simply will not allow it. Trying to defy the gods and carrying stones across the sea will have unfortunate consequences on anyone carrying out the act.
4. Sefwi Wiawso
The Sefwi-Wiawso District is a district located in the Western Region of Ghana. Its capital is Wiawso, and It was elevated to the status of a municipal assembly in 2012. The town has been under constant media scrutiny due to the high levels of murder that take place there.
These killings are often done for spiritual reasons. People killing relatives for blood and money rituals isn’t unheard of in the town and new residents are often warned to be careful or stay away.
3. Ashaiman
We won’t say much about Ashaiman, we’ll just give you a bit of friendly advice: If you ever find yourself in the Ashaiman area, be sure to lock your doors and keep your phones, purse and any other things you have on yourself safe.
The streets of Ashaiman are filled with the most ruthless and hardened criminals who will rob you the instant you let your guards down. Ashaiman is also home to some notorious gangsters and thugs known in pidgin english as “Kwashey boys”. These kwashey boys may not even bother trying to rob you in secret, they’ll just pull up on you with a gun and ask you to hand over your possessions. If you think you can outrun a bullet, go ahead and attempt an escape.
2. Nima
In second position of our list of most scariest towns in Ghana is the notorious town of Nima. As one of the many “Zongos” in Ghana, Nima is infamous for being riddled with crime, violence and thug culture. In fact, some of the most popular lyrics about the town can be found in a song titled “A Nima Mi Seh” by Shatta Wale, a popular Ghanaian dancehall artist.
In the now iconic song, Shatta sings about how life in the ghetto is ….. “You could find me inna di barracks.
Alkayeeda youth control di shattas” which translates to “You could find me in the barracks, where alkayeeda youth control the streets”. That line alone should tell you everything you need to know about Nima.
There are definitely peaceful and non-violent people living in Nima and its environs, but the bad fruits give the whole town a bad name.
1. Nogokpo
If you have any friends who hail from the Volta Region, then chances are, you have definitely heard of Nogokpo. Your friend(s) may even joke about sending you to Nogokpo when you wrong them.
Nogokpo is a small village located in the Ketu-South Municipal of the Volta Region of Ghana along the Trans–West African Coastal Highway. It is noted for its traditional and spiritual shrine. It has a shrine – Nogokpo Shrine – built during a misunderstanding between some people at Agbozume in the very olden days, in the early 1900s. The story goes that the spirit asked to be moved elsewhere for peace to prevail. The name Nogokpo means “stay in peace” and interestingly enough, Nogokpo is a very peaceful town.
Rumor has it that the town is situated on a very powerful shrine, that protects and defends its citizens. The Nogokpo shrine also takes care of spiritual relating stuff, encompassing everything from recovering lost items to health issues, travelling issues and any other issues that disturb mankind. Popular folklore has it that the peace experienced in the town results from the fear of citizens that they will be punished by the shrine should they commit crimes. Consequently, theft, murder, armed robbery and other crimes found elsewhere are practically non-existent in Nogokpo.