On Saturday April 3, 2021, the nation was thrown into a state of shock as news of the murder of a 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah was reported around Kasoa in the Central Region.

What was perhaps more heartbreaking about the incident was the fact that the suspects behind the heinous crime were two teenagers who were actually friends of the deceased.

Felix Nyarko and Nicholas Kini said to be aged between 16 and 17 are alleged to have murdered their colleague with the intent of using his body parts for money ritual purpose.

Following police post mortem carried on the body, the deceased was finally released to the family for his funeral rites on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

Videos from the Islamic funeral of the late Ishmael paints a much sadder picture of how his family and loved ones were struggling to come to terms with his murder.

From the moment his body was brought from the mortuary to the very last minute when he was finally put into the ground and covered with dirt, the funeral of Ishmael was characterized with uncontrollable tears from his parents, to siblings, teachers, school mates, neighbours and sympathisers who had all thronged his family residence to bid him a final farewell.

In her own words the, the Headmistress of Maranatha Preparatory and Junior High School at Millennium City, near Kasoa where Ishmael was a student, described the 10-year-old as a “leader to be” that the nation has missed out on.

“I was very sad till today. He was a brilliant child, I usually played with him. I called him my husband and anytime I call him my husband he starts laughing. I will never forget him; he was very good. He was on my heart, I took him as my son,’’ she said.

“We’ve really missed him; the school really miss this boy. The school is sick, the last time when we went to school none of the teachers was able to eat. We really miss him. The nation has really missed a leader to be,” the teary headmistress told the media at the funeral.

Watch the full funeral ceremony below: