Cops Killer’s Mother Church Rattled

Suspect: Eric Kojo Duah

Members of Strong Living Fire Church, a Dansoman-Accra-based spiritual facility owned by the deceased mother of the suspected killer of the two policemen, have been 'rattled' by news of Eric Kojo Duah's alleged murderous act and his subsequent arrest.

Duah is the first son of the late Madam Elizabeth Boateng, the founder of the church, which is being managed by Stella Brown.

According to Ms. Brown, the suspect is a staunch attendee of the church.

Although he is the first son of the founder, Duah did not partake in the day-to-day administration of the church.

The members who followed the developments, especially from the time it became clear that Duah was the key suspect in the deadly shooting, would have rather the image of the church did not suffer the jolt.

Duah, in one of the first disclosures he made to the police at Akosombo apart from admitting to the murder of Sgt Michael Dzamesi, said he did so because he thinks the dead cop was responsible for his mother's death.

'You'll See'

He allegedly explained that within a month after the Sergeant told his mother that she would 'see', a euphemistic threat, she passed on and his action appears to be a revenge for his mother's death.

The manager when pushed to comment on the upbringing of Duah said, “I don't know which words to use to describe our late mother. And as you can see, all the guys in this church are on fire for Christ. So for us to say maybe our mother did not train him well is another story.”

The late Elizabeth Boateng, she implied, was somebody whose attitude conformed to the contents of the Scriptures “because knowing Mama Lizy, she won't sit down for you to do something which is contrary to what the Bible teaches.”

Stella Brown, far from presenting an alibi for Duah, said he was in church recently and promised to assist the facility in a certain direction. She added that he was involved in the murder jolted members of the church.

Emerging Accounts

Assortments of details have continued to flood the media about what could have triggered the cold-blooded murder.

While some of them showed how some law enforcement agents have compromised their work, others pointed at the downward spiral of discipline in Budumburam and Kasoa.

A young girl is reported to have said she saw the altercation between Sgt. Dzamesie and Duah and how the former slapped the latter and this line of narration is consistent with others after the murder.

Duah, the girl said, went to his car and returned with a weapon with which he fired at the police officer.

The law enforcement officer, she continued, ran to a nearby grocery and that was where he died finally; Duah having pursued him to the place to discharge a coup de grâce.

The Sergeant's colleague, L/Cpl. Awal Mohammed, who sustained gunshot wounds on his waist and ribs died later at the Winneba Hospital.

Other Claims

One of the stories which made the rounds yesterday was about how Duah was known to almost every cop in Kasoa, a relationship which resulted in some of them getting plots of land from him gratis.

The story had it that his weapon was once seized from him after he shot somebody when he was attacked over some money in his car booth.

The firearm is said to have been returned to him after he paid an amount of GH¢1,000. He is said to be so close to some cops that he has even earned the nickname 'father' from some of them.

Police Reaction

When DAILY GUIDE enquired from the Director General of Public Affairs, Ghana Police Service (GPS), ACP/Mr. David Eklu, whether the foregone had come to his notice, he answered in the negative, “I am not aware of this please.”

Speaking to a radio station yesterday on a segment of the many speculations making the rounds, he stated that “I've read the message myself but I can't confirm or deny the claims, so as I speak to you now the IGP has tasked one of our directorates to investigate that aspect of the case immediately because investigations in such cases are very important.”

IGP's Directive

Although the case is under investigations and the suspect having made an initial appearance in court, the IGP is reported to have ordered an investigation into the flurry of allegations making the rounds on social media.

Apart from the suspect saying earlier that he killed the deceased cop because he thought he caused the death of his mother, there is a speculation also that the late Sgt. Dzamesi put him in cells over a murder case in the course of investigations.

The speculation though sounds unreal, murder cases being outside the purview of MTTD personnel where the late Sgt. Michael Dzamesi belonged until his untimely death.

---Daily Guide