18-year-old remanded for allegedly killing younger brother in Wa

An 18-year-old herdsman, Pati Bande, has been remanded by the Circuit Court in Wa on charges of allegedly murdering his 14-year-old brother, Haruna Rashid, and concealing the crime by burying the body.

The presiding judge, His Worship Maxwell Maxibrain Titriku, ordered that the suspect remain in police custody to allow investigators to finalize their inquiries. The case is scheduled to return to court on January 24, 2025.

Detective Sergeant Appiah Samuel, who presented the case, stated that the tragic incident occurred in Duwie, a community within the Sissala West District. The victim's father, Haruna Bande, a 50-year-old herdsman, reported the matter to the Gwollu District Police Command on January 7, 2025, around 10:30 a.m.

According to the police report, the suspect gruesomely decapitated the victim and removed his heart and penis. The body was then placed in a sack and buried in a nearby bush. The removed body parts were separately buried near the family’s cattle ranch.

The suspect was apprehended at the Duwie Chief’s Palace following the report. Police, along with a team comprising Physician Assistant Munkailo Waah of Gwollu Hospital and Environmental Officer Alhassan Abdul Razak, visited the crime scene. They were accompanied by the regent of Duwie, the victim’s father, and other community leaders.

The suspect led the team to the location where the body was buried. Upon exhumation, it was confirmed that the victim had been placed in a sack, and his head, heart, and penis were missing. Further investigation revealed the burial site of the removed body parts, approximately one kilometer from where the rest of the body was found. These were also exhumed under the supervision of the police.

Mr. Munkailo Waah conducted an initial examination of the remains and verbally attributed the cause of death to decapitation, resulting from the complete severing of the head.

During questioning, Pati Bande confessed to killing his younger brother at the cattle ranch early in the morning after they returned from herding cattle. However, he did not disclose his motive for the crime.

The police are continuing their investigation as the community grapples with the shock of the incident.