Nicholas Kwame Kini and Felix Nyarko
The two teenagers, whose killing of an 11-year-old boy at Kasoa in the Central Region during the Easter Holidays sparked outrage, have made another shocking and chilling confession.
They were brought to the Kaneshie District Magistrate Court in Accra yesterday and during the committal proceedings one of them told the court that they killed a pregnant woman in Kasoa prior to the gruesome killing of the 11-year-old boy called Ishmael Mensah Abdallah, ostensibly for money rituals.
It was one of the suspects, Felix Nyarko, aka Yaw Anane, whose age has been ascertained by the police as 16, who made the shocking confession during the proceedings before Her Worship Rosemond Agyiri, and said it was done with his accomplice Nicholas Kwame Kini, whose age was given by the police as 18.
The crowd in the courtroom were astonished when Nyarko revealed that it was not the first time that the two boys were committing such a heinous crime purposely for money rituals.
The juvenile during the proceedings was surprised why his accomplice Kini was not willing to confess to the crime, insisting before open court that this was not the first time they had done it.
Asked by the Magistrate when this supposed killing occurred, the minor responded that “it was a long time ago.”
He also told the court how they had planned to use the deceased for money ritual purposes and how they orchestrated the act which also led to the cold murder of Abdallah, who was his close friend.
Boy’s Ghost
Nyarko also told the court how he had seen the ghost of the young boy (Abdallah) who threatened to kill him if he fails to confess to the crime.
The murder of the 11-year-old boy stunned the nation when graphic pictures of the deceased in the midst of an angry crowd being prevented by the police from lynching the teenagers, went viral on social media and on mainstream media.
Committal Proceedings
The court after the prosecution had presented the exhibits it intends to rely on for the trial asked the accused persons if they had anything to say before she commits them for trial at the High Court.
The two gave varying statements to the court as the minor essentially confessed to the crime while Nicholas Kini on the other hand denied the offence, claiming he had nothing to do with the crime.
TV Advert
The minor, narrating events that led to the killing of the young boy, told the court that he was watching television when he saw an advert which promised to make people rich overnight.
Nyarko told the court that he picked the number and told Nicholas Kini about the advert and when they called, a woman confirmed what he had seen on television and promised to make them rich.
He said the woman told them they would need a child and an amount of GH¢5,000 to complete the ritual, and further told them that once they kill the child, she will send her ‘boys’ in Kasoa to pick the body of the deceased together with the money and escort them (accused persons) to her in the Volta Region.
Kidnapping Plot
Nyarko told the court that Nicholas initially suggested that they kidnap the victim – Ishmael Mensah Abdallah, and demand GH¢5,000 as ransom and later kill the boy and send the body to the ritualist.
He said on the Wednesday before the incident, he was about to kidnap the victim but his (victim’s) mother called him so “I was not able to kidnap him like we planned.”
The minor then told the court how his accomplice convinced him to use his close relationship with the victim to lure him into a secure place where they could kill him since their initial plan to kidnap him was not successful.
Smoking Wee
Nyarko told the court how he and Nicholas smoked Indian hemp (Wee) till they all fell asleep on the night before the incident.
He told the court that on the day of the incident, he had convinced Ishmael about how Nicholas had got a new game and told him to follow him to where Nicholas was so they could play the game.
He said upon reaching the uncompleted building, Nicholas was already waiting for them and he assisted the victim to climb into the room.
“When we got there, Nicholas told Ishmael (victim) that the game was in the sack over there so Nicholas bent down to pick the game from the sack. Nicholas then used a club to hit the back of his head and he fell to the floor, unable to speak. We dragged him closer to us and Nicholas hit him again with the club.”
Nyarko told the court that his sister heard a noise hence he walked towards the uncompleted building but “I told her it was nothing so she should go back.”
He said he then picked a block and just when he was about to hit the victim “he asked me ‘you that you are my good friend, why are you doing this to me. What have I done to you’?”
Nonetheless, the accused person said he hit Ishmael Abdallah with the block but said he was still breathing.
Buried Alive
Nyarko said he then brought two shovels and they dug a shallow hole and dropped Ishmael Abdallah inside.
He said realising that the deceased was still breathing, they added more sand while he was still alive.
He said he picked another block but heard his mother calling him so he dropped it and went out of the uncompleted building leaving Nicholas behind.
He told the court how he later went to fetch water for his mother and upon his return, he saw his parent who asked him how he could have done what he did.
The accused told the court events that led to the discovery of the body and how angry residents of the area subjected them to severe beatings following the incident.
Committal Moment
The prosecution led by Nana Adoma Osei, a State Attorney, yesterday presented the court with exhibits which included one shovel, one spade, a club, pieces of cement block, pictures of sand mixed with blood, investigation caution statements of accused persons, pictures of the deceased, and photographs of the crime scene which they intend to rely on for the main trial.
The court then ruled that “based on the statements you made this afternoon, I deem it necessary to commit you to stand trial.”
The two are expected to appear before the High Court on September 20, 2021.
By Gibril Abdul Razak