A 60-year-old man, suspected to be a Nigerien, has allegedly stabbed three persons at Kasoa in the Central Region leading to the death of one of them.
The suspect, Abdulai Ibrahim, is said to have stabbed Hamza Awal, 22, and injured two others who were said to have tried to stop him from harassing people for money.
The incident took place at about 7.00 p.m. yesterday around the Zongo Mosque area.
According to some bystanders, the suspect was begging for alms from residents, passers-by, and drivers in the area.
Knife
According to the witnesses, he (suspect) was carrying a knife on him and threatened people who did not give him money. They said the three tried to take the knife from him, realizing the danger that he posed to people in the area.
“When Hamza and his friends tried taking the knife from him (Ibrahim), he stabbed him and injured the two others,” Zakaria, a bystander said.
The Kasoa District Police Commander, Superintendent Samuel Odame, confirmed the incident and said the police received information on the stabbing and wounding of three persons and so dispatched men to the area to effect the arrest of the suspect.
“The victims were taken to the Kasoa Polyclinic. At the police station, we also saw that the suspect was also bleeding and so sent him to hospital for treatment.
“While at the hospital, a mob gathered and demanded that the suspect be released to them to be lynched,” he said
Demand
The Kasoa District Police Commander said when the police refused to heed the mob’s demand, they forcefully entered the hospital and took Hamza’s body away, adding, however, that the police with the support of some opinion leaders in the area prevailed upon the mob to release the body for autopsy.
Superintendent Odame said the body was released and was currently at the Police Hospital. Meanwhile, he said, the two other injured persons were responding to treatment.
The suspect, he said, was also in police custody.
He said because of the language barrier it was difficult communicating with the suspect but said he was a Nigerien.
