Young man burnt to death in suspected arson at Assin Fosu
A 26-year-old man, Barron Guda, popularly known as Efutu, has been burnt to death in a suspected arson at a suburb of Assin Fosu, Mempeasem, in the Central Region.
The incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday, when fire engulfed the wooden structure in which the deceased lived.
The body of the victim was found burnt beyond recognition after personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the police responded to a distress call from residents around 7 a.m.
Confirming the incident, the Assin Fosu District Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rosemond Duncan, said firefighters were called in to douse the blaze, but the victim had already died by the time they arrived.
Some residents who spoke to the media said they suspected foul play, alleging that some mechanics in the area had earlier threatened to burn Guda or evict him from the structure over accusations of theft.
“The mechanics warned that they would burn him or drive him out. That is why we believe the fire was deliberately set,” a resident alleged.
However, other residents disputed the arson claims, suggesting that the fire may have been accidental.
According to them, Guda was seen earlier smoking and behaving erratically, raising suspicion that a cigarette might have started the fire.
Tension, reinforcement
Following the incident, tensions heightened in the area as some angry youth, believed to be friends of the deceased, confronted the police with sticks and clubs, demanding the arrest of the suspected mechanics.
To prevent the situation from escalating, the Assin Fosu District Police Command called in reinforcement from the Regional Command, Divisional Police, and the Formed Police Unit (FPU) to restore calm.
ASP Duncan said the body had been deposited at the St. Francis Xavier Hospital morgue at Assin Fosu, while investigations into the cause of the fire had commenced.
