The people of Winneba in the Central Region recently celebrated the Aboakyer festival, which involves hunting for deer.
Prior to the hunt day, there were various activities and preparations, including purification rites where two groups, Tuafo and Dentsifo, carried their gods through selected routes in the town.
On the day of the hunt, the youth of the town joyfully prepared themselves amidst drumming, dancing, and merrymaking. However, some thieves had also positioned themselves to steal from people’s bags and purses. Shockingly, even a fetish priestess was among their victims.
The priestess, who was dressed in white with white markings, recounted her ordeal to Atinka TV, stating that someone had stolen her phone, money, and purse. She warned the thief to return her belongings, reminding them that the festival was a time for celebration and not theft.
The Aboakyer festival is an annual event celebrated by the Effutus at Winneba every first week of May. The word ‘Aboakyer’ means hunting for game or animal in Fante, and the festival commemorates the migration of Simpafo, the people of Winneba.
