MAN NABBED OVER FATHER'S DEATH (PAGE 29, MIRROR, OCT 3)

From Chris Nunoo, Wa

The Wa Police have arrested a man, Sumani Isaka Jnr, from Bugubelie near Tumu in the Sissala East district for allegedly shooting and killing his father.
The Police are also searching for three other suspects who allegedly teamed up with Isaka to inflict multiple cutlass wounds on one Bashiru Salifu, a suspected yam thief.
The Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP Alex Bedie, told The Mirror that on September 13, 2009 the police in Tumu received a complaint from Isaka that his 45-year-old father, Sumani Isaka Snr, left the house for his farm and has since not returned.
He said Isaka claimed he followed up to the farm only to find out that his father had been murdered and that he suspected Salifu, who is also a farmer.
He said the police followed Isaka to the scene and the body was found with a deep wound in the left thigh suspected to have been caused by a gunshot.
Mr Bedie said upon inspection by the police it came out that the deceased was shot from close range and added that when the police further conducted a search in the area, they found Salifu with cutlass wounds all over his body lying unconscious in the bush.
He said a postmortem conducted on the deceased showed that he died of haemorrhage resulting from excessive bleeding from the thigh.
Mr Bedie said further investigations revealed that on that fateful day the deceased went to the farm only to realise that someone had gone to steal tubers of yam from his farm and he immediately suspected Salifu, who is alleged to be a well-known crop thief in the area.
He said the deceased who was not happy about what he discovered on his farm quickly went home and organised three others and Isaka, who armed themselves with cutlasses and a gun and went to the farm to look for Salifu.
He said when they met Salifu on the farm and questioned him about the loss of the yam, a brawl ensued and Salifu managed to overpower the deceased and held him onto the ground.
In the process, ACP Bedie said, the deceased asked Isaka to shoot at Salifu but Isaka missed and rather fired at his father in the thigh.
He said Salifu sensing danger got up from the deceased but the three others and Isaka pounced on Salifu and inflicted cutlass wounds on him.
Thinking that Salifu was dead, ACP Bedie said, the four dumped him in the bush and fled the scene with the then wounded Isaka Snr but he died on the way.
He said Isaka when interrogated denied shooting the father and blamed Salifu for doing that.
Mr Bedie said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Wa hospital morgue while Salifu has been admitted at the Wa Regional Hospital for medical treatment under police guard.