15-year old in Kasoa ritual murder trial sentenced 12 months

A Juvenile Court in Accra has sentenced a 15-year-old boy to a year at the Senior Correctional Centre after he was convicted of conspiring with another teenager to murder a 10-year-old child in Kasoa for ritualistic purposes.

Before receiving his sentence, the remorseful juvenile pleaded for leniency, expressing deep regret for his actions.

He also extended an apology to the deceased's father, saying, "Ishmael and I have known each other and played together for a long time. I never intended to harm him. It was the work of the devil."

Presiding over the case, Judge Bernice Mensimah Ackon noted that the accused, who was apprehended in April 2021, is now approaching 19 years of age. She acknowledged that he had already spent over three years in remand, which, under the Juvenile Justice Act 2003 (Act 653), is considered part of his sentence. However, considering the gravity of the crime and the boy’s expressed desire to gain vocational training—having dropped out of school at the Basic 6 level—the court ruled that he serve an additional 12 months at the correctional center to receive technical education.

Earlier in October, a High Court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, found both teenagers guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. While the older accomplice, 18-year-old Nicholas Kini, was sentenced to life in prison, the 15-year-old’s case was transferred to the Juvenile Court, as required by Section 18(1) of the Juvenile Justice Act.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on March 29, 2021, when the two suspects sought the help of a spiritualist for a money ritual, locally referred to as sakawa. The alleged spiritualist, based in the Volta Region, reportedly requested GH¢5,000 and a human sacrifice to perform the ritual. A few days later, on April 3, 2021, the teenagers chose their 10-year-old acquaintance as the victim.

On the morning of the incident, around 9 a.m., the younger suspect lured the boy to an unfinished building, where Nicholas Kini was waiting. Once inside, they instructed the victim to retrieve a video game hidden inside a sack in the corner of the room. As he bent down, Kini struck him from behind using the handle of a pickaxe, causing him to collapse.

Despite his injuries, the young victim pleaded for mercy, asking the younger suspect to spare his life. However, his plea was ignored. The juvenile then lifted a cement block and struck the unconscious boy on the head.

Still alive but critically injured, the victim was left in distress as the suspects attempted to dig a shallow grave inside the building, planning to transport his body to the spiritualist.