RESIDENTS OF Gumbihini, a suburb of the Tamale Metropolis, on the dawn of Wednesday woke up to a gory scene after a 20-year-old baker, Abukari Iddrisu, brutally slashed the throats of three children while they were fast asleep.
The three were his nephews. Two of the kids were lucky to have survived the sharp knife of the suspect, while 8-year-old Mustapha Abdul Jahir died after he was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
Their distraught mother was said to have collapsed at the sight of the gory scene.
Mustapha Mohammed, 9 and Mustapha Aliu, 7, currently on admission at the hospital, were in critical condition, while the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Tamale Hospital morgue pending autopsy, to determine the actual cause of death.
According to police sources, the suspect, a younger brother of the victims' father, lived in the same house with the kids and was reported to have constantly accused the school children of pilfering from his room, the money he kept there from a bakery business.
He was alleged to have cautioned the kids over the conduct but this was constantly defied until the dawn of Wednesday when the suspect got infuriated, crept on the young family members and slaughtered them like sheep while they were asleep.
Sources said the three were sleeping with their mother, Zenabu Mustapha, in the compound of the house, due to the heat in the rooms, when suddenly they heard painful screams from the children.
The mother, alarmed over the unusual noise, sprang up from the mat only to find herself in the pool of blood from the bleeding kids. She raised an alarm, following which the suspect fled.
Madam Zenabu, unable to stand the pain, also collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital together with the victims where one was pronounced dead on arrival.
Abubakari Iddrisu, after the incident, tried fleeing the community completely, but was pursued and arrested by the youth who, but for the intervention of some elders, would have lynched him.
He was handed over to the police who have since kept him in custody pending further investigations into the matter, after which he would be put before court to face charges of attempted murder and murder.
Residents, who were still trying to come to terms with the actions of the suspect, disclosed to DAILY GUIDE that the suspect smoked marijuana- reason for his strange behaviour.
Abubakari Iddrisu had since expressed regrets over his actions and shortly before he was handed over to the police, he pleaded with his family to temper justice with mercy, promising to be a better person.
He also said the day had been bad for him because “I was nearly killed by the mob”.
Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Ebenezer Tetteh, commended the youth for their initiative of arresting the suspect, indicating that it was a manifestation that the police-civil relationship was getting better.
The police PRO was happy that the youth heeded their elders' advice not to lynch the suspect as planned, warning that the act of lynching was illegal and the Police Service frowned upon it.
As at press time yesterday, arrangements were underway to release the body of the infant for burial in accordance with the Islamic tradition.
From Stephen Zoure, Tamale
The three were his nephews. Two of the kids were lucky to have survived the sharp knife of the suspect, while 8-year-old Mustapha Abdul Jahir died after he was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
Their distraught mother was said to have collapsed at the sight of the gory scene.
Mustapha Mohammed, 9 and Mustapha Aliu, 7, currently on admission at the hospital, were in critical condition, while the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Tamale Hospital morgue pending autopsy, to determine the actual cause of death.
According to police sources, the suspect, a younger brother of the victims' father, lived in the same house with the kids and was reported to have constantly accused the school children of pilfering from his room, the money he kept there from a bakery business.
He was alleged to have cautioned the kids over the conduct but this was constantly defied until the dawn of Wednesday when the suspect got infuriated, crept on the young family members and slaughtered them like sheep while they were asleep.
Sources said the three were sleeping with their mother, Zenabu Mustapha, in the compound of the house, due to the heat in the rooms, when suddenly they heard painful screams from the children.
The mother, alarmed over the unusual noise, sprang up from the mat only to find herself in the pool of blood from the bleeding kids. She raised an alarm, following which the suspect fled.
Madam Zenabu, unable to stand the pain, also collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital together with the victims where one was pronounced dead on arrival.
Abubakari Iddrisu, after the incident, tried fleeing the community completely, but was pursued and arrested by the youth who, but for the intervention of some elders, would have lynched him.
He was handed over to the police who have since kept him in custody pending further investigations into the matter, after which he would be put before court to face charges of attempted murder and murder.
Residents, who were still trying to come to terms with the actions of the suspect, disclosed to DAILY GUIDE that the suspect smoked marijuana- reason for his strange behaviour.
Abubakari Iddrisu had since expressed regrets over his actions and shortly before he was handed over to the police, he pleaded with his family to temper justice with mercy, promising to be a better person.
He also said the day had been bad for him because “I was nearly killed by the mob”.
Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Ebenezer Tetteh, commended the youth for their initiative of arresting the suspect, indicating that it was a manifestation that the police-civil relationship was getting better.
The police PRO was happy that the youth heeded their elders' advice not to lynch the suspect as planned, warning that the act of lynching was illegal and the Police Service frowned upon it.
As at press time yesterday, arrangements were underway to release the body of the infant for burial in accordance with the Islamic tradition.
From Stephen Zoure, Tamale
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