Driver remanded for murder

Kumasi, May 4, GNA - Osumanu Zakaria, a 32-year-old driver, was on Tuesday remanded by a circuit court in Kumasi for stabbing one Abubakari Issaka also called "Njeh" to death.

His plea was not taken and will re-appear on May 17. The facts of the case as presented to the court by Police Chief Inspector Nana Amofah were that the deceased and his brother lived in a wooden structure owned by the accused person's father at New Tafo in Kumasi as tenants.

The initial monthly rent they paid was 10,000 cedis. He said in early April this year, the landlord decided to raise the rent to 15,000 cedis per month and demanded one million cedis advance payment from the tenants.

He said the deceased and his brother who could not afford the amount went to plead with him to reduce it but he refused. Chief Inspector Amofa told the court that on April 26, Zakaria who could not understand why Issaka and the brother should still occupy the wooden accommodation after having failed to meet the advance payment demanded, took the law into his own hands and destroyed padlocks used by the tenants and removed windows and doors to their room.

The tenants, who were relatives of Zakaria's father, later went to find out the reason behind his son's action but before they could enter the house Zakaria drew a sharp knife and moved menacingly towards them. They took to their heels with the accused in a hot pursuit. He eventually succeeded in stabbing Issaka in the stomach and he died shortly after arrival at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). The prosecutor said people in the neighbourhood managed to overpower him and handed him over to the police.