Residents of Sekondi were dumbfounded on Thursday when news broke out that a Junior High Student (JHS) in the area had been stabbed to death by his colleague on the premises of the school.
The deceased, a final-year student of West Ridge School in Sekondi, would have turned 14 years yesterday, October 26, 2018.
According to information, the deceased was stabbed in the stomach during break time on the school’s premises on Thursday at about 10am.
He was rushed to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi but died moments before a scheduled surgery to stabilize his condition.
The juvenile suspect (name withheld) has been arrested by the police to assist in investigations.
According to eyewitnesses, “Both the deceased and suspect were classmates and the deceased mistakenly hit the suspect with a pen. The suspect allegedly removed a sharp object from his shoe and stabbed the deceased multiple times. The victim bled profusely and was rushed to the hospital.”
A nurse at the hospital, who confirmed the death of the student to Connect FM, a Takoradi-based radio station, described the incident as unfortunate and indicated that the deceased sustained injuries in the ribs and stomach.
The nurse indicated that the deceased died when doctors were preparing to operate on him at the theatre.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the family of the deceased, who is a Muslim, attempted to bury him in line with Islamic custom, but the Sekondi Police stepped in quickly to plead with them not to do so till some investigations were done.
Confirming the sad story to DAILY GUIDE, DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), mentioned that the case was reported to the police at about 6pm on Thursday.
She disclosed that the deceased, who was bleeding profusely, was initially sent to the Essikado Hospital for treatment, but was later referred to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi.
The police chief indicated that the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital morgue pending autopsy.
DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku pointed out that the juvenile suspect cannot be detained in cells meant for adults by the police.
“He has been released on bail to his parents while the case has been referred to Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Sekondi for further investigations,” she added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi