Kumasi: 22-year-old Nigerian arrested for murder of house help

• Posted on June 5, 2014June 5, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Kumasi police have arrested a 22-year-old Nigerian, Emmanuel Ozuwal, in connection with the murder of a 40-year-old house help, Grace Opoku.

Ozuwal was said to have connived with four accomplices to murder the house help for allegedly thwarting their effort at robbing the landlord of the house in which they were living together with Grace, who was a mother of three.

The other suspects, who are currently on the run, have been identified by the police as Monday, Michael, Alex and Nicholas and are believed to be hiding in Adum, Kumasi, Takoradi or Accra.

The five Nigerians were living in the boy’s quarters of the house, which the landlord had given out to them.

The Nigerians were alleged to have tried to rob the house by first trying to kill one Ama Kyere but could not do so because of the shout for help and suspected that Grace, who had seen them, would report them to the police.

Briefing

At a briefing in Kumasi yesterday, the Kumasi Central Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Laar Baman, said about 12:30 p.m. on May 23, the landlord left for the mosque, leaving behind his wife, Madam Ama Kyere, his mother-in-law and Grace.

Soon after the landlord had left, he said, Monday and three of the accomplices were seen with plastic buckets in their hands, feigning to be going to fetch water.

He said they asked Grace to give them a machete and she left for the boys’ quarters, where she also lived, to fetch one for them.

According to Mr Baman, the four, without any provocation, pounced on Madam Kyere, threw her onto the floor and tried to strangle her with a nylon rope which had been concealed in one of the buckets.

He said during the struggle, Madam Kyere bit hard on the finger of one of her attackers in a bid to free herself, while her sick mother who moves about with the aid of a wheelchair called for help.

This made the attackers to flee.

Police response

Chief Superintendent Baman said a report was later lodged with the Ridge Police Station, from where a team was dispatched to the scene of the crime.

He said the police were then informed that Grace, who had gone to pick the machete for the assailants, had since not been seen.

He said eventually, the door to Grace’s room was broken and she was found dead in the room with her legs and hands tied behind her.

A substance believed to be powdered pepper was found in her nostrils and she was foaming.

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