Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Source: GNA

Farmer remanded into prison custody for murder

A Magistrate’s Court at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano-North District of Brong-Ahafo Region has remanded a farmer, Saria Yakubu into prison custody in Sunyani for beheading his cousin at Rubi, near Yamfo in the District.

Yakubu, charged with murder is to re-appear before the Court presided over by Mr Augustine Akusa-ma on Wednesday April 8, 2015.

Superintendent of Police Alhaji Maama Arhin told the Ghana News Agency earlier on Monday that the Yamfo Police on Saturday, March 21 had information that Yakubu, aged 24, had beheaded his cousin, one Alimatu, aged 35, also a farmer and a mother of five in her house at Rubi.

Police personnel went to the scene and found the body in a pool of blood with the suspect standing by it.

Superintendent Arhin said the suspect, who is a farmer at Asuadaa, also near Yamfo went to the cousin’s house on that fateful day at about1200 hours holding a cutlass and chopped off the deceased’s head from behind.

The Regional Crime Officer stated that neighbours reported the incident at the Yamfo Police Station, adding that the suspect admitted the offence and told the Police that it was the devil because he did not know what influenced him to commit the crime.

Superintendent Arhin said the accused would be sent to the psychiatric hospital to ascertain the state of his mental health while the corpse had been deposited at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Hospital Morgue for autopsy.