Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 14 March 2006

Source: GNA

Taxi driver committed suicide by throwing himself before a moving vehicle

Nkawkaw, March 14, GNA - A taxi driver, Yaw Affum, who, on Monday night, inflicted several cutlass wounds on his wife, met his instant death when he was ran over by a moving vehicle in a suspected suicide bid. The wife, Ms Prudence Adubo had been admitted at the Kwahu Government Hospital, Atibie, while a good Samaritan, Opanin Oware, who came to her rescue and also received a deep cut on his forehead, had to be transferred to the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi for intensive medical attention.

The outbreak of the incidence threw the Nkwakaw-Kuma suburb into a state of confusion and wailing as most of the residents could not come to grips with the nightmarish development. Briefing the GNA on Tuesday, the Nkawkaw District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Christopher Klomegah, said at about 2000 hours on March 12, this year, Affum, popularly known as "Honorable", armed himself with a sharp cutlass concealed in his trousers and went to one Stella's house to take his estranged wife, Ms Prudence Adubo, to his house. He said when the wife refused to accompany him to the house because he allegedly threatened to kill her during the previous day's quarrel between them, Affum left after some heated exchanges. ASP Klomegah said around 2200 hours on the same day, Affum angrily went back to Stella's house again to ask his wife to come back but she still refused to accompany him and a struggle ensued and the deceased use the cutlass to inflict several wounds on her body resulting in the loss of her two fingers. He said it was during the encounter that Opanin Oware rushed in an attempt to rescue Adubo.

ASP Klomegah said Affum, thinking that his wife had died, left the place to the main Nkawkaw - Mpraeso road where he allegedly threw himself in front of a moving truck and was killed instantly. He said Adubo was responding to treatment while the body of Affum had been deposited at the same hospital's mortuary at Atibie for autopsy.