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09.11.2007 Disaster

Upsurge In Murder Cases

09.11.2007 LISTEN
By Daily Guide

The incidence of mystery murders in the country involving husbands and wives, boy and girl friends and landladies and their maids must be a source of worry to the society.

These days hardly does a day pass without newspapers publishing horrifying pictures of victims of murders on their pages or radio stations announcing those murders.

Recently there were reports of alleged infidelity on the part of a wife which resulted in the husband murdering her. The other day a suspicious boyfriend ended it all with the murder of his girlfriend.

Earlier this week, a middle-aged woman was alleged to have beaten her ward to death after suspecting her of stealing GH¢10. All these were not part of the Ghanaian life until recently.

Husbands and wives could divorce, boy and girl friends could call it a day and even ladies could caution their offending housemaids, but not to such extent that a person could kill his partner.

People are asking if there could not be any other way than those being used in dealing with those problems rather than killing.

Some, however, attribute the upsurge in murder cases in the country to the influx of foreign films. It is interesting to note that because of the bad nature of those movies they have been banned in their own countries.

There could be some amount of truth in that perception, but definitely that would not be the whole truth. Some of the perpetrators of those criminal acts have their own reasons, which could not be linked with the influx of foreign movies.

From the way the murders are executed it is clear the perpetrators have their own motives - just to eliminate people whom they deem to have wronged them in one way or another.

Over the years Ghanaians have witnessed horrifying murders in all parts of the country, but the alarming proportion it has taken in recent times puts fear in everybody. Nobody is safe even in his home at daytime.

The level of civic responsibility that the poor situation puts on individuals, groups and the government is so high that everybody must be working harder to identify the perpetrators of those crimes.

People must not think that since it has not happened to them or any of their relatives or friends it would never happen to them and therefore it was not their problem. Who knows whose turn it might be next?

It would be better to assist in tracking down criminals at a time when they have not yet attacked us, than wait for them to attack us before we join others to arrest them.

The time has come also for people to play active roles in arresting criminals in their communities. Under the prevailing circumstances DAILY GUIDE finds it necessary to advise the people, especially the youth to remain at home during late hours.

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