The Nsawam Police Command has detained a 40-year-old Nigerian man named Justice, also known as “Oga,” for allegedly killing his son, Wisdom, and secretly burying him.
Justice, a hardware seller, lived with his wife and three children, including the deceased, at Kyekyewere near Asuboi along the Accra to Kumasi Highway in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region. Reports indicate that he frequently beat his wife and children, but his violent behavior went unchecked as the community feared him.
A resident confirmed that last Thursday, Justice was seen carrying his severely beaten child into a taxi. He took the child to the Nsawam Government Hospital, where medical staff confirmed the boy had died upon arrival.
The reason for the severe beating is unclear, though it is noted that Wisdom did not attend school and was often confined to the house. The fatal beating may have occurred because Wisdom defied his father’s orders to stay indoors.
George Oboubi, the Assembly Member for the area, decided to investigate the child’s condition. When questioned, Justice initially claimed the boy had died of malaria and was in the mortuary, but he later admitted to burying him in a public cemetery. His inconsistent accounts raised suspicion, leading Oboubi to involve the police.
Investigations revealed that Justice had buried his son secretly without a coffin and allegedly paid and convinced the Nsawam cemetery workers to do so. Mr. Oboubi informed the police, who then arrested Justice and exhumed Wisdom’s body from the cemetery.
The suspect will appear in court in Nsawam on Monday. Meanwhile, his wife has fled the town with her two remaining children to an unknown location.
Read more: First-year SHS student nearly killed over ram theft