A stocky truck-pusher, aged about thirty-seven, is in the grips of the La police for the gory murder of his girlfriend, a thirty-two year old rice-water seller at the ministries in Accra.

Investigations conducted by The Statesman established that the deceased, Barikisu Sumaila Sodji, met her death at the hands of her lover, Ataa Ago Tsuru, the suspect, during a scuffle with a rival. The fight was between the suspect and his former girlfriend Gloria Tsotsoo on one side, and Awonye Barikisu, as the deceased was affectionately called, on the other.

Police sources said some three weeks ago, the deceased made a complaint of assault at the same police station against her boyfriend, Ataa Ago. She was given a hospital form to attend hospital and report back, but she never returned.

However, Tuesday 8.00 pm, two close relatives of the suspect made a complaint at the station that the suspect and his ex-girlfriend, Doris Tsotsoo, have mercilessly assaulted the deceased and she was lying prostrate on the floor of their compound.

Police independent investigations and interrogation of the suspect revealed that the deceased came to meet her boyfriend with an unidentified lady referred to only as Georgina whom the suspect said he was discussing some business with.

The deceased "mistook her for a rival and picked up a quarrel with the boyfriend" ensuing in a fight. The deceased who is a Northerner was said to be tough for her boyfriend and the rival, and they fought for hours.

"In the course of the fight, the suspect picked up a coal-pot and threw it at the deceased. The coal-pot landed on the throat of the deceased severing it instantly. She fell unconscious and died some few minutes later," said a police source.

Eyewitnesses account has it that the suspect is a "woman-beater" and has been pummeling his numerous girlfriends whenever any of them dared him. On this very occasion, Awonye Berikisu matched him boot-for-boot. The suspect was alleged to have threatened family members and friends who wanted to intervene. The deceased, likewise, would not listen to advice to stop the fight.

"Everyone then left the two love-birds to fight for their lives," said one eyewitness.

The deceased met her untimely death in the process.

A family source said the suspect then approached his father and an uncle to open the back door to the house for him to take the body away ostensibly to bury her secretly, since there were many 'gossips' at the entrance.

The well-mannered father and uncle refused and sent a couple of informants to inform the police while they engaged him (suspect) in a hectic brainstorming conversation as to the next line of action. The police were on time to arrest the suspect.

It took the police a hell of a time putting the cuffs onto the suspect, The Statesman learnt. He shoved them left and right till they applied extra-reasonable force to tame the 'possessed' macho suspect. He was seriously drunk, according to police, and slept deeply after he had been hauled in, "waking up only this morning."

The incident occurred near Abentia We, Abafum, a neighbourhood in La.

Family, neighbours and eyewitnesses further told The Statesman that Tuesday evening around 7 pm, the suspect, together with the ex-girlfriend were openly heard threatening to teach the deceased a lesson, if she dared enter the suspect's family house.

A close relative also revealed that the suspect had earlier in the day asked the deceased to prepare him some meal. The deceased had dutifully prepared the meal and called Ago on phone that she was ready with the food and that she was calling to see if he (suspect) was in the house.

"When the deceased rang to inform him that she had finished preparing the meal, the suspect gave the cell-phone to his other girlfriend, with whom he was sitting, to reply the deceased. The rival picked the phone, and began raining insults on the deceased. She also warned her to venture down, if she was a woman," said the source.

The deceased, confident of whipping the intruder, stormed the house of the boyfriend, resulting in a fight between the two women. A relative living in the house said: "Initially, the suspect attempted intervening in the fight between the rivals, and even went out with the deceased to buy her some drink."

On their return, the deceased returned any insult showered on her by the girl in the room. The suspect entered the fray, siding with his other girlfriend. “He caught a coal-pot initially thrown at him by the deceased and he returned it."

The door to the single room of the suspect was being barred when The Statesman arrived at the crime scene, to prevent any interference in the processes of investigations. The tell-tale blood was still fresh on the ground where the deceased eventually fell after the missile slit open her throat and crushed her chest bone to death.

The crowd was still thick, 12 hours after the gory incident. The police station was also beseiged by the crowd, with the police officers occasionally storming into the crowd to allow them some ventilation and convenience to do their duties.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Police Hospital, awaiting a pathologist's report to enable police conclude investigations