Runaway teacher arrested after five years

Aflao, July 25, GNA - A Navrongo based teacher who allegedly jumped bail five years ago while on trial for murder by the Bolgatanga Regional Tribunal was arrested in Lome on July 16.

Joseph Akayasi, 30, was handed over to the Ghana Police at Aflao by their Togolese counterparts and has been transferred to the Upper-East Regional Police authorities.

He was being tried for allegedly murdering a student Lawrence Atoya at Kadinga near Navrongo.

Mr Baba Moro, Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of crime at Aflao, told the GNA that the suspect stabbed Atoya, the student, to death at Kadinga market in 2001 following a misunderstanding between him and one Jonathan Awuntoba on one hand and the deceased on the other. He said Akayasi, who was put before the former Regional Tribunal at Bolgatanga, was granted bail on September 21, 2001 in the sum of 20 million cedis with a surety to be justified.

Mr Moro said Miss Gladys Asorigiya, Akayasi's sister-in-law, stood surety for him but he absconded with his wife to Lome where he took up a teaching appointment at Joy International School, a Basic English school.

He said Miss Asorigiya began searching for Akayasi until July 15 when she had a tip-off of his presence in Lome. She followed up to Aflao where she sought the assistance of the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) leading to the arrest of the suspect.

A source close to the Navrongo Police told the GNA in a telephone interview that Atoya, Akayasi and his accomplice Jonathan Awuntoba lived at Kadinga.

On July 7, 2001, the three met at the Kandiga market where they came across some beans cakes.

The deceased ate one and this attracted rebuke from Awuntoba who remarked that the cake belonged to a mad woman. The source said the remark provoked a fight between the deceased and Awuntoba. Akayasi rushed home for a knife and stabbed Atoya the deceased in the ribs.