Immigration officers, 2 others held over tragic murder in Nadowli-Kaleo
By DL News
Published
2 min read
The Wa District Magistrate Court, presided over by His Worship Maxwell Maxibrian Titriku, has remanded the six suspects as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Four officers from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and two farmers from the Nadowli-Kaleo District have been taken into police custody following the tragic death of Patrick Banoebuuri, a farmer in the Piree-Kaangu community.
The Wa District Magistrate Court, presided over by His Worship Maxwell Maxibrian Titriku, has remanded the six suspects as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The accused officers—Senior Inspector Adjei Boadi Philip (36), Assistant Immigration Control Officer II (AICO) Abdulai Rawuf Abubakar (22), AICO II Nkrumah Alex (33), and AICO II Philip Oppong (28)—were stationed at the Nadowli Immigration post and now face murder charges.
Additionally, Pogee Antaa Julius (38), a Unit Committee Chairman of the Noro Electoral Area, and Logu Seidu (49), a relative of the deceased, have been charged with abetment of crime to wit murder.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Tragedy
According to the facts presented in court, on March 6, 2025, Patrick Banoebuuri was accused of stealing 18 sheep. Community members apprehended him but later released him after recovering 14 of the stolen animals.
However, on March 7, Pogee Antaa Julius and Logu Seidu, dissatisfied with the unresolved theft, led a group to Banoebuuri’s home in Piree-Kaangu, where they forcibly took him into custody, demanding he return the remaining four sheep. They then handed him over to the immigration officers on duty at the Ghana Immigration checkpoint in Naro, allegedly for disciplinary action.
The court heard that upon receiving Banoebuuri, the immigration officers subjected him to a rigorous physical drill, commonly known as a "frog jump," during which he collapsed and died.
Discovery and Investigation
Police responding to the incident found Banoebuuri’s lifeless body concealed under a tent fabric behind a zinc-enclosed bathroom at the checkpoint. The remains were transported to the Upper West Regional Hospital for preservation and an autopsy.
The case has been adjourned to Monday, March 17, 2025, as investigations proceed.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has called on the Inspector General of Police and relevant authorities to ensure justice is served. Richard Banoebuuri, a brother of the deceased, urged influential figures, particularly those in the Upper West Region, to refrain from interfering with the case to allow due process to take its course.
