5 KOSS students in police grip over murder of schoolmate

Five students of the Konongo Odumasi Senior High School (KOSS) in the Asante Akyem South District in the Ashanti Region are in the grip of the police for their involvement in the death of 17-year-old Larhan Sam-una, a Form One student of the school.

The suspects, all Form Two students aged 17, are alleged to have taken part in acts that led to Sam-una’s death last Friday.

The deceased was allegedly stabbed in the left rib with a kitchen knife by a Form Two student for refusing to be bullied by Form Two students.

Sam-una, who tried to stop his seniors from bullying his mate, was stabbed with the knife which was concealed on one of the alleged culprits.

He was rushed to the Konongo Government Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival after he had lost so much blood.

Arrest

Confirming the arrest to the media, the Konongo District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Adu Agyemang Duah, said at 9:50 p.m. last Friday, the Assistant Headmaster of KOSS, Mr David Kwabena Asare, assisted by the Konongo Divisional Police Task Force, arrested two of the suspects, including the one who had allegedly stabbed Sam-una.

He said three other suspects, who were mentioned as accomplices, were later arrested, bringing the number of suspects to five.

Facts

According to DSP Asare, information picked indicated that last Friday, after the close of prep around 8:30 p.m. when all students had retired to their dormitories, the five suspects ganged up and marched to House Three to bully Form One students there.

“They first attacked one Kwame Manu, also known as ‘Network’, and assaulted him. From there, they moved to the mini market, which is on the school premises, and grabbed one of the first-year students, Prince Amoakoh, and attempted to drag him away to molest him,” the police commander said.

He said the first-year students, who felt the action of the suspects was uncalled for, resisted and rescued Amoakoh from the grip of the bullies.

However, DSP Asare said, their action infuriated the main suspect, who rushed on one of the first-year students and tried to slap him.

“The deceased, who was close to that first-year student, stopped the suspect, and that action infuriated the bully and he pulled out a small kitchen knife which he had concealed on him and stabbed the deceased in the lower left ribs,” he indicated.

The deceased started bleeding profusely and was rushed to the Konongo Government Hospital where he was pronounced dead, he said.

Evidence

DSP Asare said the bloodstained knife, together with the blood-soaked outfit of the deceased had been retrieved and was in the custody of the police, while the body had been deposited at the Stewards Hospital Mortuary at Yaw Kwei, near Konongo.

As part of measures to maintain peace and prevent any reprisal attacks in the school, he said, the police would patrol the school and maintain some personnel on the compound.

Source: graphicsonline