Three days after a human head was found in an uncompleted building at Tindonmolgo, a suburb of Bolgatanga, another body was on Monday found floating on the Kolaa stream at Pobaga, also a suburb of Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital.
In the latest incident, the yet-to-be identified man was believed to have been murdered on Sunday night as fresh blood was still oozing from his neck the following day when his body was found floating.
Explaining what their preliminary investigations have revealed, the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Thomas Agbanyo, said the man was killed on the bank of the stream and his body dragged and dumped into the stream. He said the Police found plywood stained with blood which they suspected the killers might have slaughtered their victim on.
Just as in the first incident, no complaint by any relative of missing a family member. On Tuesday, the Police returned to the scene and burnt down a nearby hideout of ‘wee’ smokers which they suspected could have accommodated the perpetrators.
Most members of the public are now living in fear following the two incidents which some of them now believe are ritual or serial killings.
However, Prof. Ken Atufuah, a Criminologist, says it is too early to draw the conclusion that these are serial killings. Speaking to Albert Azongo, host of Day Break Upper East, morning show programme on A1 Radio in Bolgatanga, Prof. Atufuah explained that if it were serial killings, there would have been a pattern or repetition of the killings for more than three times.
According to him, the perpetrators could have been doing so out of vengeance or they were hired to target and kill those victims so as to humiliate them not to get befitting burial. He appealed to residents to exercise citizenship by helping the police fish out the perpetrators rather than taking the law into their hands by resorting to instant justice.
Meanwhile, the owner of the uncompleted building in which the first victim’s head was found made her first appearance in court on Monday and was remanded into Police custody. Forty-five year old Emma Sombila is a businesswoman from Bongo.
The Police say they have intensified patrol and surveillance in the Municipality and called for public support in information volunteerism. They have also cautioned residents not to stay outside deep into the night nor walk in dark and isolated place at night.
Source: William N. Jalulah
