Man shoots friend

Asssakae, a farming community near Kwesimintsim in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis, was thrown into a state of shock last Wednesday when John Essuman a 49-year-old tailor in the area allegedly shot and wounded his bosom friend John Amoah with a locally-manufactured gun.

The suspect, also known as 'Soccer', has been arrested by the Kwesimintsim police while the victim, who is also called 'Azeller', is receiving treatment at the Kwesimintsim Polyclinic.

An eyewitness account had it that on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at about 8:30 pm; the victim, Azeller, a chemical seller, was in his shop when suddenly, his friend Essuman, who was standing by the roadside near the chemical shop asked him over.

Immediately Azeller got to the roadside, the suspect allegedly pointed a locally manufactured gun at the victim and allegedly shot and wounded him in the rib.

Residents in the-area who heard the gunshot rushed to the scene and conveyed the victim to the Kwesim-intsim Polyclinic in a taxi. The suspect allegedly went into hiding at Nsuaem near Tarkwa in the Western Region and was later arrested by the police.

Revealing why he shot Azeller in an interview with the Daily Guide, Essuman said the victim had early on in the day provoked him by telling him that he was a stupid man who could not take care of his children. According to the suspect he became furious and so in the evening around 8:30pm, he went to the house of Azeller where he had his chemical shop and called him to come to the roadside, after which he shot him with the gun.

He alleged that the gun belonged to some people who were digging out sand in the area and that he threw it into a river in the area after the crime.

He denied going into hiding after the incident but said because he later regretted what he did, he told his sister that he was going to Nsuaem for a while and that he would return soon. ASP Ben Ofori Acquah, the Kwesimintsim District Crime officer confirmed the arrest of the suspect and said he was in police custody while investigations into the case were ongoing.