History on Trial

History on Trial — Episode 9: The Graves at Mile 11

September 1st, 2003. Mile 11, along the Accra-Cape Coast Road.

For over 17 years, six families had lived without knowing where their loved ones were buried after their execution following a military subversion trial in May 1986.

Then, following petitions to the National Reconciliation Commission, investigators entered the overgrown grounds of Akwasa Cemetery.

What they uncovered were two shallow, unmarked graves containing eight skeletonized remains—two more than the six families had expected.

In this ninth episode of History on Trial, we examine the Commission's first major exhumation and the forensic investigation that followed. We explore the petitions of families searching for their missing loved ones, the identification of the remains, and the NRC's efforts to restore dignity to those who had disappeared into Ghana's history.

But Mile 11 was only the beginning.

The search would soon move west, toward Tarkwa, where investigators would uncover another chapter of secret burials, missing persons, and bodies allegedly dumped in abandoned mining shafts.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: Secrets of the Mines
Episode 9: The Graves at Mile 11

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #SecretsOfTheMines #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #Ghana #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #NationalReconciliationCommission #NRC #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary #Mile11 #AkwasaCemetery

History on Trial — Episode 8: Martyrs' Day & The NRC Legacy

June 30th, every year in Ghana.

Decades after the murders at Bundase, members of Ghana’s legal community gather to remember the three judges and retired army major whose deaths shook the nation.

But remembering came at a cost.

In the years following the 1982 judicial murders, lawyers and judges who gathered under the banner of Lest We Forgetfaced intimidation, surveillance, arrests, and ill-treatment.

Yet the memory endured.

Two decades later, the National Reconciliation Commission reopened the story. Former investigators, witnesses, officials, and surviving family members came forward to revisit the events and confront the failures and intimidation that surrounded the original investigation.

In this final episode of The SIB Files, we examine the legacy of Martyrs' Day, the NRC's examination of the judicial murders, and the lessons the tragedy continues to hold for Ghana's democracy and the rule of law.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: The SIB Files
Episode 8: Martyrs' Day & The NRC Legacy

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #TheSIBFiles #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #Ghana #MartyrsDay #NationalReconciliationCommission #NRC #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary

History on Trial — Episode 7: The SIB Findings & The Tribunal

November 1982.

The Special Investigation Board completes its investigation into the murder of the three High Court judges and the retired army officer—and recommends 10 individuals for prosecution.

But when the Attorney-General makes his decision, five names are dropped for "insufficient evidence."

The remaining accused are sent before the newly established Public Tribunals rather than the High Court, sparking controversy and opposition from the Ghana Bar Association.

Then, on June 19th, 1983, a prison break throws the trial into chaos. Among those who escape are L/Cpl Samuel Amedeka, Johnny Dzandu, and Tony Tekpor.

As the proceedings continue, the accused deliver their final statements before the tribunal delivers its verdicts.

In this seventh episode of History on Trial, we examine the SIB's prosecution recommendations, the decision to use Public Tribunals, the dramatic prison break, and the final statements that preceded the death sentences.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: The SIB Files
Episode 7: The SIB Findings & The Tribunal

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #SIBFiles #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #Ghana #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary

History on Trial — Episode 6: Tracing the Fiat

July 1982. Bundase Firing Range, Ghana.

A set of tire impressions in the mud becomes one of the first major forensic clues in the investigation into the abduction and killing of the three judges and retired Army officer.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jacob Yidana and his police investigation team begin tracing the vehicle used during the abductions, cross-referencing state garage records, fuel requisitions, and curfew passes.

The trail leads to a Fiat 127 assigned to state duties—and an operational curfew pass signed by high-ranking military officials.

As spent ammunition, vehicle records, witness statements, and interrogations begin to connect key suspects to the crime, the investigation moves closer to the inner circle of power.

But the closer the police team gets, the greater the pressure becomes.

In this sixth episode of History on Trial, we follow the forensic trail of the Fiat, the arrests that followed, and the intimidation that would ultimately target the very officers who helped crack the case.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: The SIB Files (Part 2)
Episode 6: Tracing the Fiat

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #TheSIBFiles #AgyekumwaaStudios #AJXEMedia #GhanaHistory #Ghana #Bundase #SIB #JacobYidana #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary

History on Trial — Episode 5: The Bundase Discovery

June 30th, 1982. Midnight in Accra.

Under a strict citywide curfew, three High Court judges and retired army officer Major Sam Acquah are abducted from their homes and driven to the Bundase Military Firing Range.

There, they are killed and their bodies set on fire. But a heavy rainstorm prevents the evidence from being destroyed completely.

Three days later, laborers make a horrific discovery at the military range, sending shockwaves through the country and raising urgent questions about who carried out the killings—and how they could have happened during a military-enforced curfew.

As fear spreads through Accra and the legal community demands answers, the PNDC government establishes the Special Investigation Board, chaired by retired Chief Justice Samuel Azu Crabbe, with Chief Superintendent Jacob Yidana leading the police investigation.

In this fifth episode of History on Trial, we examine the Bundase discovery, the evidence left behind, the growing national panic, and the creation of the SIB—the investigation that would begin following the trail toward the highest corridors of power.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: The SIB Files - 1 
Episode 5: The Bundase Discovery

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #TheSIBFiles #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #Ghana #Bundase #SIB #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary

History on Trial — Episode 4: The Return to Ballot Boxes

September 24th, 1979. Parliament House, Accra.

After 112 days of AFRC military rule, Ghana returned to civilian government as Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings handed over power to the newly elected President, Dr. Hilla Limann.

But the transition came with a warning: the military was standing by.

As the Third Republic struggled with economic challenges, political divisions, and vigilante committees, Ghana’s judiciary began reviewing convictions handed down during the AFRC period. Judges ordered the release of people who had been wrongfully imprisoned, bringing them into conflict with military hardliners.

Then, on December 31st, 1981, the Third Republic was overthrown.

Six months later, three High Court judges and a retired army officer were abducted during a curfew and murdered at the Bundase Military Range.

In this fourth episode of History on Trial, we examine the return to civilian rule, the growing tension between the military and judiciary, and the chain of events that culminated in the judicial murders of June 1982.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on TrialSeason 1: Curfew at BundaseEpisode 4: The Return to Ballot Boxes

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #CurfewAtBundase #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #Ghana #ThirdRepublic #HillaLimann #JerryJohnRawlings #AFRC #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary

History on Trial — Episode 3: Chaos in the Ranks

June 4th, 1979. Nightfall at Burma Camp, Accra.

Hours after Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings is broken out of prison and addresses the nation, an armed group of insurgent soldiers surrounds the bungalow of Colonel Joseph Enninful, the officer who had presided over Rawlings' court-martial just days earlier.

Before the night is over, Colonel Enninful and his wife, Josephine, are shot and killed in their own home.

But the violence would not end there.

In the days that followed, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council assumed power, while discipline within the Ghana Armed Forces began to fracture.

Armed soldiers roamed the streets. Unauthorized roadblocks appeared. Arbitrary arrests, beatings, abductions, and seizures of property became increasingly common.

As the AFRC launched its campaign against kalabule, traders faced public humiliation and punishment. Makola No. 1 Market was eventually demolished, leaving hundreds of traders without their stock and livelihoods.

Then came the executions.

In this third episode of History on Trial, we examine the 112 days of AFRC rule and how the breakdown of military command, the campaign against kalabule, the destruction of Makola Market, and the execution of senior military officers transformed the June 4th uprising into a period of fear, violence, and uncertainty.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: Curfew at Bundase
Episode 3: Chaos in the Ranks

An Agyekumwaa Studios Original.

#HistoryOnTrial #CurfewAtBundase #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #Ghana #June4th #AFRC #JerryJohnRawlings #Kalabule #MakolaMarket #GhanaianHistory #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary

June 4th, 1979. 3:00 AM. Burma Camp, Accra.

Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings is being held in military custody, facing a near-certain death sentence following his failed May 15th mutiny.

Then, in the darkness of the early morning, a group of junior officers and non-commissioned officers launches a daring prison break.

Rawlings is freed.

But they aren't running for the border.

They are heading straight for the studios of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

Within hours, a single broadcast would shatter the military chain of command, bring down the Supreme Military Council, and set Ghana on a revolutionary path.

In this second episode of History on Trial, we return to June 4th, 1979 and examine the midnight jailbreak, Rawlings' historic radio broadcast, the collapse of the military high command, and the beginning of the controversial "house-cleaning" exercise.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: Curfew at Bundase
Episode 2: The Midnight Jailbreak

An Agyekumwaa Studios Production.

#HistoryOnTrial #GhanaHistory #GhanaHistoryDocumentary #JerryJohnRawlings #Rawlings #June4 #AFRC #BurmaCamp #AfricanHistory #Ghana #HistoryDocumentary #GhanaPolitics #MilitaryHistory #CurfewAtBundase #AgyekumwaaStudios

History on Trial — Episode 1: The Spark at Burma Camp

May 15th, 1979. 3:00 AM. Burma Camp, Accra.

A young Flight Lieutenant, Jerry John Rawlings, and six junior officers launch a failed attempt to seize control of the military command.

By sunrise, one soldier is dead. Rawlings is arrested and faces charges of mutiny and treason—with the possibility of a firing squad.

But inside the military tribunal at Burma Camp, something unexpected happens.

Rawlings is given the floor.

And his words would become one of the defining moments of the events that followed.

In this first episode of History on Trial, we return to May 1979 and examine the events surrounding the failed mutiny, Rawlings' court-martial, and the dramatic words spoken inside the courtroom.

Based on official historical records and testimony from the Ghana National Reconciliation Commission Report.

History on Trial
Season 1: Curfew at Bundase
Episode 1: The Spark at Burma Camp

An Agyekumwaa Studios Production.

#HistoryOnTrial #TheSparkAtBurmaCamp #AgyekumwaaStudios #GhanaHistory #GhanaianHistory #JerryJohnRawlings #Rawlings #BurmaCamp #Ghana #AfricanHistory #HistoryPodcast #HistoryDocumentary #GhanaPodcast #GhanaDocumentary #CurfewAtBundase