Ghana: Three Indian Capuchin priests were violently attacked in Enquanto, East Volta Region, Ghana, on December 11. The victims—Fr. Robinson Melkis, Fr. Frank Henry Jacob, and Fr. Martin George—were assaulted while attempting to refuel a bulldozer at a petrol station. The attack occurred under the false accusation that the bulldozer had been stolen.

The priests, who have been engaged in missionary work in Ghana since 2005, reside in Kpasa, located in the Nkwanda-North District of the Otjiwarongo Region. They had rented the bulldozer, which was to be used in the construction of a formation house in Chaiso, Nkwanda South Parish, after paying the agreed rental fee of 9,700 Ghanaian cedis. The assault took place when the priests, accompanied by two municipal officials from Nkwanda South, went to refuel the bulldozer at a station in Chaiso.

The priests were rescued after approximately half an hour by personnel from the Ghanaian Immigration Department. Although initially detained by police on suspicion of theft, they were released following the intervention of the Jesuit diocese and after receiving necessary medical care. Unfortunately, Fr. Frank Henry Jacob suffered permanent hearing loss in one ear as a result of the beating and was admitted to Yendi Hospital for specialized treatment.

The municipal officials who were with the priests also endured physical abuse. In response to the attack, Bishop Sunyani and Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Episcopal Conference, reached out to the Ghana Police Chief. They were assured that an investigation would be launched and that those responsible for the assault would be held accountable.

Additionally, the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Nkwanda-South constituency has issued an apology to the priests and the diocese for the violence they endured. The Catholic Church and its clergy play a vital role in the development of Ghana, and the incident has drawn significant attention within the community.