Pastor gunned down * Wife also shot

Front Page: Daily Graphic, April 9, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Founder and Leader of the Jehovah Shalom Church, popularly known as Canaan, at Gomoa Achiase, Pastor Kweku Bentum, was last Wednesday night gunned down by unknown assailants in a sordid act of anarchy that appears to be engulfing the Ghanaian society.
As if killing the pastor was not enough for the perpetrators, his wife, Mrs Margaret Bentum, who responded to a distress call from her husband, was also shot by the assailants and she is currently on admission at the Agona Swedru Government Hospital.
Five persons, suspected to be behind Pastor Bentum’s murder, have been arrested by the Gomoa Achiase Police.
A sixth person, who is believed to be the principal architect of the act, Peter Abatole, is currently on the run.
Those arrested are Adams Kassena Nakani, an in-law of Abatole’s, Abukari Adams, Francis Arhin, Cosmos Baah Yirenkyi and a woman identified by the police only as Adjoba.
The police have also retrieved the gun suspected to have been used in the pastor’s murder.
The Agona Swedru Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Owusu Donyinah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Pastor Bentum was due to give evidence against Peter Abatole in court today, Friday, April 9, 2010 in a case in which Abatole had been charged for stealing.
He said Abatole had been arrested on April 2, 2010 for stealing sheep.
According to him, the court granted Abatole bail on April 5, 2010 to appear again on April 9, 2010 and Pastor Bentum was to give evidence for the prosecution.
Chief Supt Donyinah said Pastor Bentum was almost at the entrance of his house when he was shot last Wednesday night.
He said the pastor screamed for help and when his wife rushed out of the house to go to his aid, she was also shot.
He said the pastor died on the spot, while his wife was rushed to hospital for treatment.
Chief Supt Donyinah said the five persons were arrested on suspicion that they might be involved in the murder.
According to him, Nakani allegedly told the police that he had been out hunting at the time of the incident and could not have been involved.
He said when Nakani was asked to produce his gun, he denied owning one and admitted ownership of the gun only after it had been retrieved from his house after a search.
Chief Supt Donyinah said the police had mounted a search for Abatole and appealed to members of the public, especially those within the area, to provide the police with any information that might lead to Abatole’s arrest.