POLICE INVESTIGATE MYSTERY DEATHS IN SUHUM (Back Page)

Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Suhum

THE Suhum police are investigating the circumstances leading to the deaths of five persons in the town within a period of six months, starting from July last year.
Four of the victims, namely Musa Bimoba, Yakubu Sawadogo and Seidu Issifu Adamu, all watchmen, and Kweku Ayeh, a porter, had their heads crushed with cement blocks and a flower pot when they were asleep, while the fifth victim, a nine-year-old girl, Afua Dansoa, was strangled.
Although the deaths were believed to be for ritual purposes, all the parts of the dead bodies were intact.
So far no arrests have been made and the police have intensified investigations into the killings.
Briefing the Daily Graphic at Suhum on Tuesday, February 18, 2008, the Suhum District Police Commander, Superintendent Stephen Amoako, said the first death occurred on July 7, last year, when Musa Bimoba, a watchman of the Suhum Presbyterian Senior High School, had his head crushed while sleeping at his duty post in the night.
He said that was followed by the death of Yakubu Sawadogo, also a watchman, of Koo Willie Trading Enterprise, whose head was also crushed with a cement block in his sleep.
Superintendent Amoako stated that the third victim, the nine year-old girl, Afua Dansoa, went out jubilating after a CAN 2008 football match but her strangled body was found the following day on the outskirts of the town along the road to Adarkwa.
He said Seidu Issifu Adamu, 60, a watchman, of the Trans-Royal Cocoa Buying Company, was killed when his head was crushed with a cement block on February 2, this year while the fifth victim, Kwaku Ayeh, a porter at the Suhum Market died in a similar manner on Saturday, February 16, 2008.
Superintendent Amoako said all the bodies, except that of Kwaku Ayeh, which was at the Suhum Government Hospital mortuary, had been buried.
Superintendent Amoako, who said the police were working round the clock to unravel the circumstances leading to the deaths, called on the public to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of the killer(s).