Two suspects Laabik Mathew Patuka and Bisom Doodam who burnt a 64-year-old woman alive at Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu District of the North East Region have been arrested.

The two paddies after the incident fled the community for fear of arrest but the police with support from family of the victim tracked and arrested them at Dadieso in the Suaman District of the Western North Region.

According to police, the two were hiding in the area under the guise of engaging in farming when upon a tip-off, police arrested them and transferred them to Gambaga in the East Mamprusi District where they will be arraigned before court tomorrow April 21, 2021.

Background

The victim, Linlaar Akua’s only crime was refusing to release her tricycle to suspects in the middle of the night for them to convey something she suspected might have been a stolen item and did not want to be associated though the machine is used for commercial purposes.

According to the police who confirmed the incident to MyNewsGh.com, one Mathew Patuka and Laari Sujurka both natives of Nakpanduri visited the victim at about 1 am, woke her from sleep and claimed that they wanted her tricycle to cart their goods somewhere.

She declined with the excuse that it was too late in the night and that the machine was not in good condition for that purpose.

They however left and returned the following day at about 9 am and threatened to kill her for accusing them of being thieves after she indicated that soon after they left, she was unable to find her mobile phone.

The matter was subsequently reported to the police in Nakpanduri but before an action could be taken, the suspects visited the home of the woman on January 16, 2020, poured petrol on her and set her on fire with matches.

An attempt to arrest them failed as they escaped even before the police could arrive.