Man 65, chases wife with gun

Opanin Kofi Kumah, 65, a cocoa farmer at Nsoatre, near Sunyani, who ran amok with gun and cutlass in an attempt to kill his wife, has been remanded in prison custody for a month by a Community Tribunal. He is charged with threat of death.

Opanin Kumah accused the wife, Madam Adwoa Frama, 57, of being fond of picking quarrels with him. Fed up with that, he picked a single barreled gun, loaded it and aimed at her, but he could not immediately cork it. He, therefore, threw it away, dashed for a cutlass and chased the woman, who managed to escape. The tribunal, chaired by Mr Charles Adjei-Wilson, did not take his plea of not guilty.

Police Inspector Setina Aboagye who prosecuted, told the tribunal that the couple, both natives of Nsoatre, had been farming at Sefwi Wiaso for about 30 years. Later, the man married another woman, Madam Dora Adwoa Yeboah, with whom he has his four children.

The entire family recently moved from the farm to Nsoatre. On February 28, two grandsons of both women had a quarrel and one hit each other on the head with a club. Opanin Kumah was present and accused his daughter whose son hit the other of encouraging such acts. A heated argument ensued between them, which saw the rivals and their children also taking part.

As the atmosphere charged, the accused asked the first wife and her children to pack bag and luggage and leave the house or else she would be killed. The woman decided to collect money from the man’s room but she was prevented. And when the woman decided to employ some force, the man quickly dashed for a gun and loaded it after which he aimed at her but he could not cork it immediately. He threw it away and went for a sharp cutlass to butcher her, however, the woman managed to escape.

Inspector Setina Aboagye said the man afterwards went to inform a relative of the woman to make sure the wife did not return or else she would be killed. The case was reported to the Sunyani District police who referred it to the police Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU), which effected his arrest in a hideout at Nsoatre last Wednesday. A search conducted in his house led to the seizure of two live ammunitions, two sharp cutlasses and a single barreled gun which were tendered in evidence at the court - The Ghanaian Times.