No Serial Killings In Suhum

The Ghana Police Service insists there is no evidence of serial murders in Suhum, in spite of the fear mentality that has currently gripped the town. This was re-emphasised yesterday when Ministers and the nation’s leading police officers, including the IGP and CID boss visited the place.

A senior investigator told The Statesman, “There’s certainly nothing that indicates a serial killing profile. No evidence at all of that and we are therefore not treating this as serial killing.” (See box for police statement on alleged killings)

This follows the results of forensic examinations conducted by a team of investigators from the Homicide Unit of the Police Headquarters in Accra who traveled to Suhum in the Eastern Region to investigate certain deaths in the area.

Earlier on Tuesday, the District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent PMN Awuni said out of the un-natural deaths at that time recorded in the area, there was no supporting evidence of a serial killing pattern.

But, not even that statement disputing serial murders issued Tuesday by the District Security Committee could prevent this week’s riot.

Yet, the Minister of Interior, Albert Kan-Dapaah, who traveled to Suhum yesterday criticised the street action.

He appealed to the people of Suhum to rather assist the police to arrest all those behind the killings of people in the area. He said they should not see the police or government officials in the area as enemies, declaring that their common enemies were those who disturb the right to live in safety and security. Mr Kan-Dapaah was addressing the people at Suhum after angry demonstrators took over the main streets of Suhum Wednesday in protest against what they thought to be serial killings in the town.

So far five people have been found dead, with two others surviving cutlass wounds. The two are receiving treatment at the hospital.

The Interior Minister has assured the people that the police will do everything possible to apprehend the killers, but appealed for information and cooperation from the public.

He declared, “we are on the job, and I can assure you that we shall get to the bottom of the problem.”

Mr Kan-Dapaah told the anxious crowd that Government and the entire nation appreciated the anger which forced them on to the streets because they wanted peace and security to go about their lives.

He condemned those who blocked roads, using lorry tyres to prevent the flow of traffic on the main Kumasi-Accra road, which runs through the town, and promised that those arrested would face the full rigours of the law. 32 people, including two women, were arrested during the demonstration.

He additionally appealed to the people to be patient and allow the police to do their work professionally. “We don’t want to rush to arrest innocent people,” he stressed.

The Minister disclosed that while waiting to train people under the Youth Employment Programe for Community Policing, his Ministry would provide support to those acting as neighbourhood watch dogs in the area.

He promised the installation of 50 street lights in the area, to enhance safety at night.

Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister also urged the people of Suhum to give the needed support to the police to maintain peace and security while looking for the perpetrators.

He explained that before the District Security Committee organised the press conference and announced that four persons had been found dead in the area, it was not aware that a fifth body had been found.

The chief of Suhum, Osabarima Ayeh Kofi appealed for calm and appealed to the police to expedite action to end the problem.

The ‘serial killing’ evidence before the police

A team of investigators from the Homicide Unit of the Police Headquarters in Accra have arrived at Suhum in the Eastern Region to help unravel the mystery surrounding some deaths in the Suhum township.

But, the Police at Suhum Tuesday said that though there had been, at the time, four un-natural deaths at Suhum since November 2006, there was no record to show that they were serial killings.

A statement issued by the District Security Committee and read at a press conference at Suhum last Tuesday by the District Police Commander Chief Superintendent PMN Awuni stated that of the four, only one was suspected to be a murder, based on evidence available to the police.

Chief Superintendent Awuni said on December 1, 2006 the Police received a report that the body of a female adult had been found in the Aponapono stream at Suhum New Town. He said the Police rushed there and found the body lying in a supine position with her head in the stream.

He said the partly decomposed body was found naked with a small money sack by her waist and a polythene bag containing a lady’s red gown, a Maxam tooth paste, a nylon sponge, a small Key Soap and a blue “T” shirt were found hanging on a branch of a tree near the body.

The District Police Commander stated that investigations revealed that the deceased was called Comfort “Paulina” Aku, an epileptic, who was also mentally challenged. He said a doctor’s report was not conclusive on the cause of death. He said, again, on January 5, 2007, a male adult aged about 30 years and also believed to be mentally ill was found dead at the Suhum Roundabout with blood stains on his head and right hand. Blood was apparently oozing from the dead man’s ears.

Chief Supt Awuni said blood stains were found at a nearby basic school which served as a sleeping place for one of the deceased. He said post mortem report revealed the cause of death as sub-arachnoid haemorrhage.

The District Police Commander said they suspected that he was murdered and investigations are on going. However, they are not linking this suspected murder to any other.

He said the same Friday at 12:40pm, another report reached the Police that a nine year old boy, Nicholas Adamptey, had fallen into a well. He told the press that the boy’s body was retrieved and sent to the Suhum Government Hospital mortuary.

Chief Supt Awuni announced that on January 6, 2007, one Asiedu was attacked at about 7pm by unknown assailants, who inflicted cutlass wounds on the victim. He said investigations revealed that he was attacked by six people who emerged from the bush at an area near the Suhum Roundabout.

After receiving treatment at the Suhum Government Hospital, the victim was transferred for further treatment to the St Joseph’s Hospital, Koforidua. The people in the town are treating the cases as ritual killings, seeing grievous bodily harm on Asiedu as such an attempt.

Moreover, the District Police Commander disclosed that when police visited Asiedu at St Joseph’s Hospital, they were informed that one “Rasta” also on admission had also been attacked around December 27, 2006 in a similar manner at Suhum.

He said investigations showed that he was not mentally sound. And, on January 14, 2007 Chief Supt Awuni said the police found one Kwabena Safo lying in a water-logged gutter, dead. He said there was no mark of a violent attack on him except a small mark of bruise between the bridge of his nose and the right eye. He said no part of the body was missing contrary to speculations that his private part had been removed. The body, Chief Supt Awuni said, has been sent to the Police Hospital in Accra for autopsy. The Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District Chief Executive, Michael Kofi Mensah, entreated people in the area to report all suspected cases to the Police for information. “All we need is information,” he said.