Abugulabu To Die By Hanging

Inusah Issifu

Inusah Issifu alias Abugulabu, a 25-year-old man who wanted to become rich overnight and therefore shot and killed his uncle, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Sekondi High Court presided over by Justice Peter Ababio.

Issifu gunned down his uncle and stole an amount of GH¢1,100 which the deceased was going to save at a rural bank in Asasetre in the Western Region.

Abugulabu subsequently went into hiding.
Presenting the facts in court, Assistant State Attorney George

Sackey said Abugulabu was staying with the uncle, Kwaw Charles, 54, at Asonti near Asasetre in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

Kwaw, who had a big cocoa farm and worked on it with the nephew, usually allowed Abugulabu to use his shotgun for farming activities due to the trust the deceased had for the nephew.

On 14th November 2006, the deceased informed his wife, Amma Ateega, he was going to deposit proceeds from the sale of his cocoa beans at a rural bank in Asasetre the following day.

At about 6am the following day, Abugulabu took his uncle's gun and told the family that he was going to hunt squirrels on the cocoa farm.

The deceased also left the cottage for the bank at about 7:20am and within 20 minutes, Amma Ateega heard a gunshot after which Abugulabu returned home to deposit the shotgun on the verandah.

He told the uncle's wife that he fired at a squirrel but missed it. After taking his bath, he accompanied his children to school.

After waiting for some days without the husband returning to the

cottage, Amma Ateega went to Elubo to enquire from a brother of his husband's whether her husband had been there, but the response was negative.

When the accused was questioned, he denied knowing the whereabouts of the deceased.

The chief of Asonti was informed and he organised a search party. On 30th November 2006, the decomposed body of Charles Kwaw was found partially buried on the banks of a stream.

After police investigations, the accused was charged with murder and after going through the merits of the case, a seven- member jury unanimously returned a guilty verdict against Abugulabu.

The court also found the accused guilty of murder and consequently sentenced him to death by hanging and that the accused had 30 days to appeal against the sentence.

By Sam Mark Essien