Police in Kuntenase in the Ashanti Region have picked up one Rashid Ibrahim for the alleged cold-blooded murder of Israel Agyei Manu, a headteacher of Rogel Montessori Basic School and owner of a private vehicle used for ride-hailing services.
The 33-year-old who was driving a Toyota Vitz vehicle, with car registration number, GE 3170-21, was beheaded on Sunday afternoon.
Some inhabitants of Feyiase Akoyem in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region where the incident occurred said they heard a loud cry for help, only to discover a body with the head cut off, with some body parts also missing.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Godwin Ahianyo said the suspect “who initially gave an untenable alibi to police, later “confessed to committing the crime adding that he killed the Uber driver for money rituals .”
He confessed to police investigators he acted on assurances of some people he consulted to bring a human head for money ritual.
“Yesterday (Sunday) after the incident, we had a tip-off that he was the one behind the killing of this gentleman so we quickly apprehended him. Initially, he denied the incident; he denied it that he was the one behind it and pleaded alibi.
During further interviews and questioning, he broke down and actually confessed, adding that he perpetrated the crime alone,” ASP Godwin Ahianyo, revealed.
Rashid had earlier denied his involvement but later led police to retrieve a machete he used to butcher the deceased headteacher whose services he sought as a driver with a ride-hailing application, Bolt.
“[Rashid] led police to the scene and then also where he had hidden the machete he used in committing the crime and so police retrieved the machete as well.”
“He mentioned some persons to be those that lured him; that they told him that if he wants to make money, he should go and get the head of a human being and bring it so that they could help him get enough money,” ASP Ahianyo added.
Police said the suspect, Rashid Ibrahim, later led officers “to retrieve the machete which he allegedly used to behead the deceased at Feyiase New Site on 4th July 2021.”
The suspect is currently in police custody pending processes to be put before the court.
“Police commend community members who volunteered their observation of the movement of neighbours and strangers alike to police, leading to the arrest. Police assure them of the strictest confidentiality and appeals to such informants to desist from blowing their own cover by bragging about such exploits,” police added in the statement.
Assemblyman speaks
The Assembly Member for the Feyiase Akoyem area, Samuel Yaw Kwae, who earlier narrated the incident to Citi News, said after seeing the headless body, they embarked on a frantic search which led them to the head of the deceased, few meters away from where the headless body was found.
“I got a call from one of my committee members around 2:05 pm today [Sunday, July 4, 2021] indicating to me that, they have received news of a murder in our community, so I quickly called the police, and they confirmed the news to me. So I had to come and lead them to the scene. When we got there, we met a body without the head.”
“They [Police] invited the CID to the scene to take all the needed information for investigations. So after that, I recommended to the police that we do a thorough search for the head of the deceased and indeed they listened to me and the people of the community helped me weed the place, and we found the head as well.”
