A 25-year-old man, Richmond Owusu Kankam, has been found murdered in Ahwiaa, a suburb of the Kwabre East Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
The discovery of his body on Sunday has sparked outrage and suspicion within the community, with his mother, Nana Yaa, alleging foul play in her son’s death.
Residents from the surrounding areas gathered at the scene where Richmond’s body was found lying on the roadside. The Mamponteng police have since transported the body to the Ankaase hospital morgue for an autopsy and further investigation.
Nana Yaa, the deceased’s mother, told this reporter that Richmond, a shawarma seller who resided with his grandmother in Mamponteng, had been reported missing to the police after failing to return home from work last Friday.
According to Nana Yaa, she hired a tricycle (Pragia) on Sunday morning to follow up on the missing person report at the police station. During the journey, she received a phone call from a family member seeking an update. Overhearing the conversation, the tricycle driver informed her that a man had been found murdered near the R.C School in Ahwiaa.
“Upon hearing this, I immediately asked him to take me to the location, only to discover that it was my son. My innocent son has been murdered,” she lamented.
Suspecting foul play, the grieving mother is appealing to the police for a thorough investigation and justice for her son. She revealed that Richmond had a prior dispute with a friend, whose name she wishes to withhold, and suspects this individual may be involved.
The tricycle driver, speaking on the condition of anonymity, corroborated the mother’s suspicions. He stated that he had witnessed a group of people surrounding a helpless Richmond around 10 pm on Saturday while passing through the area. At that time, Richmond was still alive but appeared to be in a critical condition.
“He was breathing, though he was very weak,” the driver recounted. He further stated that some bystanders speculated that Richmond might be suffering from epilepsy and suggested contacting his family. However, Richmond did not have a phone on him at the time.
Responding to speculation about her son’s health, Nana Yaa vehemently denied that Richmond suffered from any such illness, asserting that he was a healthy man without any underlying health conditions.
Other residents at the scene speculated that Richmond may have been attacked and left for dead elsewhere before being moved to the roadside as a cover-up. “As a journalist, you can see the bruises and swelling on his face, along with the bloodstains. It’s clear he was murdered. May God punish those responsible,” one resident commented.
