A major murder-for-hire plot linked to a long-standing land dispute has been uncovered by police following the arrest of an armed robbery gang in Kasoa.
Investigations revealed that on February 25, two suspected criminals travelled from Accra to Atebubu in the Bono East Region on a mission allegedly ordered by a convict serving a 77-year prison sentence at Ankaful Prison.
According to police sources, the target was the Queen of Abama, a community near Atebubu, who also operated a chop bar in Atebubu township.
The Queen had reportedly won a court case over a disputed parcel of land just days before her murder. The dispute allegedly involved a chief from a nearby town.
Police say the assailants laid in wait for the victim and attacked shortly after she returned home late in the evening. She was reportedly shot six times and died instantly.
After carrying out the killing, the suspects allegedly returned to their hotel in Atebubu, spent the night there, and travelled back to Accra the following day.
The Atebubu Police immediately launched investigations into the murder, but the breakthrough came nearly three months later.
On May 14, police in Kasoa received intelligence about an armed robbery gang allegedly planning an operation. Officers moved in and arrested several suspects.
During interrogation, one of the suspects reportedly confessed to involvement in the Queen’s murder, claiming he had been “haunted by the ghost” of the deceased.
The suspect allegedly identified the gang leader as the gunman who carried out the shooting. Police later discovered that the gang leader had recently been released from prison after serving a 15-year jail term.
Further investigations led to startling revelations.
According to the suspects, the operation had been arranged by a convict currently serving a 77-year sentence at Ankaful Prison. The inmate allegedly acted on behalf of a chief involved in the land dispute with the deceased Queen.
Police say the convict coordinated the operation from prison and recruited the gang to execute the killing in exchange for payment.
The suspects claimed the chief agreed to pay GH¢50,000 for the murder and had already paid GH¢40,000 before the operation. However, after the Queen was killed, the remaining GH¢10,000 was allegedly never paid despite repeated demands.
Acting on the information, police tracked the chief to his residence in Kumasi.
Sources say that when confronted with the allegations, the chief allegedly attempted to bribe investigators with GH¢200,000 in a bid to avoid arrest. He reportedly paid GH¢100,000 upfront before officers arrested him and seized the money as evidence.
Police investigations are ongoing, and the suspects are expected to be arraigned before court in the coming days.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
