Famous Prisons Like James Fort Prison And Others That Accommodated Ghana's Most Notorious Criminals

• Ghana's history has been stained with some notorious criminals who gave the police service a lot of work to do back in the day
• The notorious criminals were jailed at famous prisons in the country that were purposely built as secure facilities that reformed hardened criminals
• Most of the crimes that shook the nation happened back in the day and the day when it was difficult to fight crime due to the low level of technology

Ghana is one of the most peaceful countries in Africa. Yet, this has not prevented it from experiencing harrowing crimes which people would rather want to forget about. YEN.com.gh mentions some prisons in Ghana that kept the nation's most infamous lawbreakers.

Ataa Ayi in Cape Coast’s Ankaful Maximum Security Prison

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Raymond Ayittey, popularly known as Ataa Ayi, is arguably Ghana's most famous criminal ever to live. He was detained in February 2005 for an unrelated offence after receiving a tip from his niece. After his capture, the police learned he was the most sought armed robber.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie of the Supreme Court sentenced Ataa Ayi to 160 years in prison with hard labour for robbery.

Ataa Ayi discovered God a few years after his detention at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prisons in Cape Coast, Central Region. He is now a committed born-again Christian and serves the remainder of his term as an evangelist.

Dr Ram Beckley at James Fort Prison

Dr Ram Beckley was a doctor and occultist who kidnapped youngsters and offered them as sacrifices to his gods. When he was captured in 1994, he lived at home in Fadama, Accra, with many school uniforms and human skulls.

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When the police arrived at his home, they looked throughout Dr Beckley's house, but they could never find the girl he had taken into his room upon a tip-off. So the enraged mob set fire to his house.

Dr Beckley was detained at the James Fort Prison and was released in 2002. However, through President J.A. Kufuor, he requested compensation from the government for the loss of 50 million cedis worth of property which was destroyed as a result of his detention.

Charles Quansah at James Fort Prison

Charles "Papa" Kwabena Ebo Quansah was a serial murderer from Ghana who was apprehended in February 2000 and found guilty of killing nine women by strangling. He was first detained for the death of his ex-girlfriend Joyce Boateng in 2000.

While in detention at the James Fort Prison, Quansah was later accused of the murder of another lady, Akua Serwaa. She was discovered strangled on January 19, 1996, close to the Kumasi Sports Stadium in Kumasi. Quansah then confessed to the murders of eight women in Accra. In all, Charles Quansah is thought to have murdered thirty-four women.

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Buildings in Ghana That Were Used For Controversial Purposes Which Stirs Up Emotions In Ghanaians

In a related story, YEN.com.gh wrote about buildings in Ghana that have a dark history about them. Many buildings in Ghana, like Dr Ram Beckley's home and the slave castles, elicit powerful emotions in Ghanaians.

The history behind such buildings should not be quickly forgotten but passed down to younger generations to preserve the national heritage. As a result, some controversial buildings have become national heritage sites, while others are now a shame to look at.

Source: YEN.com.gh