A funeral in Assin Odumase, Central Region, turned into a scene of shock and confusion on Saturday, January 17, 2026, after the family of 40-year-old Presbyterian Church steward George Kwame Antwi discovered that his body had already been buried months earlier by another family.
The incident, described by relatives as a shocking administrative failure, occurred at the Assin Brofoyedur Mortuary in the Central Region.
Just hours before the scheduled burial, the family was informed that Antwi’s body had already been buried nearly three months earlier by another family who allegedly mistook him for their 75-year-old relative.
The revelation plunged the Assin Odumase community into disbelief, disrupting what had been a well-organised and widely attended funeral ceremony. Mourners had travelled from across the country, canopies were mounted, sound systems tested, caterers had completed preparations, and undertakers were on standby.
However, the atmosphere shifted abruptly from mourning to confusion when the team sent to retrieve the body returned empty-handed.
“Before the team could proceed, we were asked to report to the police station, where we were informed that another family had wrongly buried our relative about three months ago,” head of the family, Asare Obeng, told Kasapa News’ Yaw Boagyan at the family residence.
George Kwame Antwi passed away in September 2025 and had been kept at the Assin Brofoyedur Mortuary for about four months.
Preliminary findings suggest that a body mix-up occurred late last year, when a family searching for their deceased 75-year-old relative was mistakenly handed the body of the 40-year-old church steward.
Despite the significant age difference, the family reportedly proceeded with the burial. Meanwhile, the actual remains of the 75-year-old man are said to still be in the mortuary freezer, unclaimed and incorrectly labelled.
The Antwi family is now trapped in a painful and surreal situation. While the Presbyterian Church had prepared to honour the life and service of their devoted steward, the absence of his remains has left both the family and the wider community devastated.
Beyond the emotional toll, the family says it has incurred significant financial losses, having already spent thousands of cedis on funeral arrangements.
Now grieving both the death of their loved one and the disturbing reality that his body lies in another person’s grave, the family has formally demanded:
- Immediate exhumation of Antwi’s body through a court order
- Full compensation to cover wasted funeral expenses and legal fees
- Accountability, including a thorough investigation into the actions of mortuary attendants whose negligence allegedly caused the mix-up
The family insists that justice must be served to prevent a recurrence of such a traumatic incident.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Yaw Boagyan
