Kumawu in the Ashanti Region is in total shock with the youth clad in mourning gear and wearing red band around their forehead. One Kwabena Anane, a member of the currently ruling Ankaase royal family of Kumawu has in the early hours of Thursday, 25th April 2011, gunned down his would-have-been son-in-law. Kwabena Anane who is in his late fifties is the owner of the popular "Spot" (Beer Bar) at Kumawu-Apebiakyere called "Apata Kese Ase".

Anane is married to a lady from Kumawu-Bodomase. This lady came into her conjugal home at Kumawu with her five children from a previous marriage. One of her daughters of nineteen has been dating a boy of twenty-one in Kumawu. Anane has never been happy but bitterly jealous and mad about the girl going out with the boy. He had at many occasions warned the boy to refrain from seeing the girl or suffer any attendant consequences for his stubbornness. He went further to lodge a complaint with the Kumawu Police about his disagreement with the boy continuing to date the girl. He had asked the police to warn the boy to desist from going out with the girl or else he was in for trouble. The police from the information I have gathered so far did call the boy and passed on the warning to him as requested of them by Kwabena Anane.

On Thursday, 25th April 2011 at about One O'clock in the early hours of the morning, the boy did see the girl off to her house after their intimate night out. He was not aware that Anane was waiting impatiently with a loaded shotgun for him. When Anane sighted the boy inside the house, he questioned him about his mission to the house. He asked, have I not warned you never to have anything to do with my daughter? The boy took to his heels after sensing danger as could be read from the tone of Anane. Anane did run after him with his gun shouting, "Okronfuo! Okronfuo! Okronfuo aba bronno yi so". He was in effect shouting for assistance to apprehend a thief he had come across in the "Apebiakyere" area of Kumawu at that odd hour of the day.

The boy ran into a nearby house where his uncle lives. He knocked hard on the door requesting to be urgently let in or else, Mr. Anane kills him. Hardly had his uncle unlocked the house's entrance door when Anane entered brandishing his gun saying, a thief has entered the house. The boy announced his name and said he was not a thief. He held onto his uncle using him as a human shield. Anane warned the uncle to break himself loose of the boy or else, he would shoot both of them. The uncle seeing to be confronted with imminent death as could be read from the fury and unusual insanity of Anane did extricate himself from the grasp of his nephew. He was no longer a human protection for the boy.

As the boy kept saying he was not a thief, Anane insisted he was. He immediately pumped two gun shots into his chest at a close range. The boy collapsed and died instantly. He then asked the members of the household to accompany him to report to the police that he has killed a robber. They refused. People had started gathering in the house upon hearing the gun shots. He then ran to the police when he sensed that the people were getting angrier at his action taken and were ready to deal with him accordingly. He reported to the police that he has killed a thief found in his area. The police placed him in a protective cell but discounted his claim knowing he had earlier lodged a complaint with them about the boy's sexual relationship with his step-daughter.

The Kumawu boys and girls within the same age group as the victim were said to have come out in their numbers that morning intending to administer instant justice to Kwabena Anane. They enraged youth were ready to lynch him for committing such a callous or cold-blooded murder. They were only prevented from their intended action by the ferocious defensive fight put up by the police using not only tear gas but reinforcement police officers from Effiduase. Anane has since been taken to Effiduase. As I write, his "Apata kese ase" bar has been torched. It is now all ashes.

Many in Kumawu are questioning, why and how Kwabena Anane did that? Most are of the opinion that he has some secret sexual relationship with the step-daughter. To them, this could be the only reason to push him to kill the boy as he could not stand to see the boy share the girl with him or take her from him. What else could be the motivating factor to push him to murder the boy in public right in front of his uncle? I shall be following this story to update you as and when new information filters through. You may contact Kumawu on 00-233-243968906 for further latest updates if the number provided is correct. I am not sure about the last number. The number if it is absolutely correct belongs to a member of the boy's family.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

John Fosu