“Let’s Pray for Forgiveness of Sin” – Kwabena Agyepong at Martyrs Day Ceremony
Former NPP General Secretary marks 43rd Martyrs Day with emotional tribute to his father and calls for national healing
- Kwabena Agyepong urged Ghanaians to forgive—but not forget—the 1982 murder of the judges
- He shared a personal account of the night his father
- Agyepong called for national unity and stronger protection for members of the judiciary
Former NPP General Secretary and 2024 flagbearer aspirant, Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has called on Ghanaians to embrace forgiveness—though never forget—the chilling events of June 30, 1982, when three High Court judges and a retired military officer were brutally murdered under the PNDC regime.
Speaking during the 2025 Martyrs Day commemoration at the Supreme Court, Agyepong—whose father, Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, was one of the slain judges—shared a deeply personal reflection on that harrowing night 43 years ago. He recounted the traumatic moment his father was abducted under the pretense of aiding an ailing colleague, never to return.
“I was having dinner with my dad around 9 PM. There was a curfew. He was called out to help Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow. We didn’t know he was being kidnapped. The next morning, he was gone.”
Justice Agyepong, together with Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Fred Poku Sarkodee, and Major (Rtd) Sam Acquah, were abducted during the curfew and executed at the Bundase Military Shooting Range. Their charred bodies were later discovered, sending shockwaves throughout Ghana and casting a dark shadow over the country’s legal system.
In his address, Agyepong emphasized the importance of national healing, unity, and protection for members of the judiciary.
“Some of these things are sordid chapters of our past, but we must pray for forgiveness. We can’t forget, but we should forgive and work together as one people,” he stated.
He also drew a symbolic connection between the rainy weather on the day of this year’s ceremony and the night of his father’s abduction, saying:
“It’s very instructive that it’s raining this morning. It was just like that on June 30, 1982. These moments are etched into our national memory.”
Martyrs Day, observed every June 30, commemorates the sacrifices of the slain judges and Major Acquah. The annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Supreme Court honors their service and ultimate sacrifice for the rule of law.
Kwabena Agyepong’s emotional tribute and his call for reflection serve as a poignant reminder of the fragility of justice and the enduring need to uphold it.
