The family of 15-year-old Simon Obeng is demanding urgent answers and a thorough investigation into the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death while in police custody at the Tarkwa-Simpa Police Station in the Western Region. According to initial media reports from June 14, 2025, the Ghana Police Service claims the deceased allegedly took his own life.
Simon Obeng was reportedly arrested on Thursday, June 5, 2025, on suspicion of stealing gold from his employer, a gold dealer. He was being held by the police for investigations into the case when the tragic incident occurred. The police’s assertion that Simon committed suicide has been met with strong disbelief and suspicion of foul play from his grieving family.
Speaking to UTV, the deceased’s brother recounted his desperate attempts to secure bail for Simon on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the police station. However, his efforts were in vain.
“I got to the police station at 6:15 pm only for the police officer to tell me I can’t secure bail for him because it was late. All our pleas for him to allow us to see our brother’s face fell on deaf ears. He told us that our brother had been moved from one cell to another which was under lock and key and thus we couldn’t see him. I got a call at dawn the next day only to be informed that my brother had committed suicide,” the deceased’s brother stated, highlighting the police’s refusal to grant access or bail just hours before the alleged suicide.
Simon Obeng’s mother also voiced her deep suspicions and demanded clarity on the police’s actions. She questioned why the police reportedly moved her son to a different cell, making it impossible for the family to see him during their visit.
“I don’t understand how his death could have happened. There were two people in the cells, and one was removed. Moments after, my people went to the cells to try and bail out my son but were denied by the police who said they had moved him from where he was placed earlier to another cell. That is what I don’t understand,” the distraught mother added, emphasizing the perplexing details surrounding her son’s final hours.
The inconsistencies between the police’s narrative and the family’s experience, particularly the denial of visitation and bail, have fueled their calls for an independent inquiry into Simon Obeng’s death. The family maintains that a 15-year-old, especially under such circumstances, would not simply take his own life.
As of the time of this report, the Ghana Police Service has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident, further intensifying the family’s anguish and the public’s demand for transparency and accountability. This tragic event underscores ongoing concerns regarding police custody procedures and the need for rigorous investigations into deaths occurring within detention facilities.
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