Teacher Murdered

THE STAFF and students of Dzodze-Penyi Senior High School in the Volta Region have been thrown into a state of grief, following the alleged murder of a 34-year-old English teacher of the school.

The teacher, Theobald Dodo, died under bizarre circumstances in his room, leading to wide speculations in the Dzodze Township that he might have been killed by an unknown assailant.

He was found in his room lying prostrate in a pool of blood and in coma on Sunday January 19. He died shortly after being rushed to the hospital.

Bruises were reportedly seen on his body while blood was oozing from his nostril and mouth.

The deceased was reported to have parted company with a colleague teacher around 10pm on Friday, January 18, after attending a farewell party organized by the school for the former headmaster, and was not seen again until news about his tragic death broke out. No arrest has since been made.

Narrating the incident at Dzodze, a staff of the school (name withheld) told DAILY GUIDE that Mr. Dodo had led some students to Klikor on Friday to participate in a debate and returned around 3pm. He later attended the farewell party, which was from 5pm to 9pm and was thereafter conveyed by the school bus to town.

He was said to have engaged one of his colleague teachers in a chat upon reaching the Dzodze Township, until 10pm when they parted company, after having agreed to travel the following day to Denu and Akatsi.

The source continued that when the colleague was ready on Saturday, he rang Dodo several times but there was no response.

The colleague therefore concluded that he might have gone to toilet or was having his bath, and thus left for Akatsi as planned.

On that same day, the source said, the wife of the deceased, Doda Adevu, also called him on his cell phone several times without any response, so she rang his sisters at Denu to find out whether he had come there.

However she was told Dodo had not been at Denu that day, a response she took with a pinch of salt. The source added that Dodo's wife became alarmed when later his sisters informed her on Saturday night that they also rang him but he was not picking the call.

The source said Doda therefore rushed to Dzodze on Sunday around 12.30pm after church service to find out what was actually happening. She opened the door only to find the deceased lying on the floor behind the door with blood stains all over his body.

She therefore raised an alarm which attracted co-tenants, who helped her to rush the deceased to the St. Anthony's hospital in Dzodze, but he was pronounced dead a few minutes later.

Superintendent Joseph Antwi-Gyawu, the District Police Commander, corroborated the story, saying the police suspect the deceased might have vomited blood after struggling from the bedroom to the hall to open the door.

He indicated that although the deceased locked the door inside, it was still possible for someone to open it from outside, as it was an 'airlock'.

Supt. Antwi-Gyawu said the police have begun investigations to find the actual cause of Dodo's death.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been transferred to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for autopsy.From Edem Adesi, Ho.