One arrested over murder of family at Ningo Prampram

The police in Ningo-Prampram have arrested one Ali Kofi Sowuno in connection with a tragic incident in which a family of three were burnt beyond recognition at Zutsukpo, a village near Tsopoli in the Ningo-Prampram District last Thursday night.

Joshua Koranteng Oman, 46, his wife and their son, who is less than five years old, were allegedly shot by some unknown assailants who also burnt them beyond recognition together with the vehicle, a pickup truck, in which they were travelling.

Oman, a farmer; his wife and their son were said to be on their way to fetch water for domestic chores when they were allegedly shot by the unknown persons.

Suspect

The suspect, a nephew of the deceased, was picked up for interrogation after it was alleged that he had issued a threat to his uncle who was a farmer, threatening that he would make him stop farming in the village.

The Daily Graphic gathered that as a result of the threat, the mother of the deceased farmer lodged a complaint with the police two Sundays ago.

Following the death last Thursday evening, some accusing fingers have been pointed at the suspect amid threats of a reprisal attack on him.

The police said as a precautionary measure, the suspect was picked up for interrogation, but he has since denied involvement in the death of the farmer and his family.

Relations

Relatives of the deceased farmer, Messrs John Narh and Kweku Oman, in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, expressed shock at the incident and appealed to the police to intensify their investigations into the matter.

Mr Oman said he was at Ashaiman, near Tema when he received a call from the village that his brother had been killed.

He said he dashed to the village only to see the charred bodies of his relatives.

Spent pellets

The Prampram Divisional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Godact Dodzi Hlordzi, said investigations were underway to unravel the mystery sorrounding the incident.

He said preliminary investigations at the crime scene revealed three spent pellets likely to have been fired from an automatic weapon.

He said the people in the vehicle were burnt beyond recognition after they were murdered.

Mr Hlordzi added that the man was a hardworking cattle farmer who was well known in the community, adding that the crime scene management and homicide units had been invited to assist in the investigations.