Murder suspect arrested

Page 3: June 27, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Madina Police have arrested a 34-year-old man, Yussif Abdullarahman, who murdered one of his wives in the night of June 18, 2008.
Two other persons, Adizatu Kubira, the other wife of the suspect, and his sister, Hamza Saada, have also been arrested to assist in investigations.
Yussif, alias Imam Yussif, was alleged to have poured acid on the deceased while she was asleep.
Burns were found all over the deceased’s body, with a bruise at the back of her head where she was suspected to have been hit by an object.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Inspector Joseph Benefo Darkwah, told the Daily Graphic that the deceased had been married to the suspect for 14 months and both of them were residing at House Number M100, Libya Quarters, which belonged to the deceased, Hajia Fati Matam-Mallam, 58.
He said Yussif, a teacher of Arabic, and the deceased were staying in the house with four other tenants, Messrs Kwaku Duah, Mohammed Yussif, both single, Madam Kate Adasi and Madam Jennifer Goka, both married women but whose husbands had travelled outside Accra.
He said about 2.00 a.m. on June 18, 2008, the four tenants were awoken by the screaming of the deceased, who shouted, “You have sprayed tear gas on me while I am sleeping. You want to kill me. What have I done to you? I am in pain, come and rescue me, my husband wants to kill me.”
Inspector Darkwah said based on that, the tenants rushed out of their rooms to find the deceased naked and groaning in pain in the compound of the house.
According to him, the deceased allegedly requested Mr Duah to fetch water and pour it on her to relieve her of the pain but Imam Yussif warned them to stay off because the deceased was a witch.
Inspector Darkwah said the suspect then dragged the deceased back into their room and returned 20 minutes later to inform Mr Duah that the deceased had passed away.
He said Imam Yussif then informed Mr Duah that the deceased had asked him (the suspect) to take charge of her house.
He said the suspect also asked Mr Duah and the other tenants not to divulge any information on the incident to anyone.
Inspector Darkwah said the suspect asked the tenants to inform anyone who sought the cause of death of the deceased that it was due to “high fever”.
According to him, about 11.00 a.m. on the same day, Adizatu, who stayed elsewhere, and the suspect’s sister were arrested by the police.
He said although the suspect admitted killing the deceased, Adizatu and Saada denied any involvement in the crime.
Inspector Darkwah said when the police inspected the couple’s room, it was detected that chemicals had been poured on the student’s mattress on which the deceased slept, with her clothes soaked with the same chemical, suspected to be acid.
He said the suspects were currently on remand pending further investigations.