Police nab Islamic scholar who cut off boy’s finger

The Takoradi Divisional Police Command has arrested Islamic Scholar Abubakar Mustapha, popularly known as Mallam Bawa, who allegedly cut off the finger of an 18-year-old boy accused of stealing a wall clock and other items from an Islamic school.

Mallam Bawa was brought in by some Muslim clerics and family members after efforts by the police to trace him proved futile.

They arrived at the police station around 11:00am on Wednesday, a few minutes after the police had returned from his house to try to effect his arrest.

The brother of the victim had earlier led the police to the house of the four other accomplices including a 15-year-old, who was later released when the complainant informed the police that he was innocent.

Police investigations are underway and it is expected that Mallam Bawa would soon be arraigned before court.

Mallam Bawa is the prime suspect behind the cutting off of the finger of 18-year-old Abubakar Sadick, popularly known as Bin Ladin, whose offence was stealing a wall clock from an Islamic school at Collins Avenue, a suburb of Takoradi.

Mallam Bawa, together with his accomplices, tied the victim with an electric wire, placed his hand on a wooden cluster and cut off the little finger on his right hand.

They then dipped the wounded hand in hot oil.