Couple burnt to death in bizarre incident

Sunyani, June 26, GNA - A bizarre incident occurred at dawn on Thursday at Asufufu village in Sunyani Municipality when a married couple were found burnt in their two-room apartment.

Initial reports by eyewitnesses and neighbours indicated that Steve Adu, alias Opete (Vulture), a taxi driver, poured petrol on his wife, 40-year-old Madam Ewura Efuah, a teacher at Roman Catholic School at Dumasua, near Sunyani, and both got burnt to death beyond recognition.

They have four children.

Briefing Ghana News Agency on the incident, Police Superintendent Charles Botwe, Sunyani Municipal Police Commander, said at about 0300 hours in the morning Adu who slept in the bedroom came to the hall where the wife was sleeping with the children.

Superintendent Botwe said Adu called his children to come out for something leaving his wife and their four-year-old girl in the room.

He said Adu who was holding a bottle containing some liquid suspected to be petrol entered the room again and started sprinkling it in the room whilst the wife was fast asleep with the little girl.

Superintendent Botwe said Adu then struck a match but the couple's second son, a 17-year-old, sensing danger attempted to prevent his father from the act and in the ensuing struggle, Adu took a lighted candle from the other room and threw it on to his wife, setting her ablaze.

He said Adu entered the room and brought out their four-year-old girl, locked the blazing wife in the room and left.

Superintendent Botwe said the children started shouting for help as they heard their mother screaming for help but they could not offer any assistance due to the intensity of the fire.

He said some neighbours rushed to the scene and called in personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who arrived only to find the woman burnt beyond recognition.

The corpse has since been deposited at the mortuary of Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani whilst the three children and a house maid were sent to a family house in Sunyani.

The four-year-old daughter of the couple who sustained some injuries is on admission at the hospital.

When GNA visited the scene another body, believed to be that of Adu was found also burnt beyond recognition.

Close neighbours confirmed that it was Adu.

A man who talked to GNA claimed it was Adu because he had known him for about 20 years.

The police are however investigating the incident.