By Isaac Nsiah Foster
January 31, 2025
The Accra Gbese District Court, presided over by Her Worship Akosua Appiah Anaafi Gyasi, has remanded 31-year-old Togolese farmer, Ibrahim Kayaba, identified as West Africa’s most wanted criminal, into police custody for three weeks.
According to the prosecution, led by Police Inspector Richard Ackumey, Kayaba is among eight suspects charged with murder. Four of the suspects were initially arrested, while the others remained at large until Kayaba’s recent apprehension, raising the number of those in custody to five. The other arrested suspects, who were released on bail, include Seidu Sambian, Bashiru Alhassan alias “Culture,” Lamonque Joseph alias “Abu Signoini,” and Kalmogue Guinansoia alias “Sumaila.”
Case Facts
Inspector Ackumey revealed that on April 16, 2022, the Accra Regional CID received information about a murder involving a group of men who had allegedly buried the victim’s body at an uncompleted building site in Adjen-Kotoku. Following the tip-off, police officers from Accra and Adjen-Kotoku visited the crime scene and arrested the first suspect, Seidu Sambian, who was linked to the crime.
The body of the deceased, identified as Kwadwo Adama Kuraj, was discovered buried under a heap of sand at the site. Police investigations revealed that the suspects—Seidu Sambian, Bashiru Alhassan, Lamonque Joseph, Kalmogue Guinansoia, Ibrahim Kayaba, Yakubu Ismael, Gounyatiene Danigou alias “Soldier,” and a man known only as Koffie—were involved in the murder.
The prosecutor stated that Lamonque Joseph, the alleged leader of the group, accused Kuraj of betraying him by collecting GH₵800,000 from a client without his knowledge. Joseph then reportedly conspired with the other suspects to murder Kuraj. He allegedly instructed Sambian to order a trip of sand to conceal the body.
Further investigations revealed that the suspects lured Kuraj and another victim, Abdulai (who is still missing), to Accra for a meeting at Joseph’s residence. Although some of the suspects denied involvement, Joseph admitted that the land where the body was found belonged to him.
Recent Developments
On January 6, 2025, Kayaba was arrested from his hideout in Kumasi. The police also retrieved an unregistered Toyota Corolla believed to have been used to transport the deceased.
Inspector Ackumey informed the court that although the case docket was submitted to the Attorney General’s office over two years ago, no advice has been received. He assured the court that efforts to arrest the remaining suspects and conclude investigations were ongoing.
The case has been adjourned to February 17, 2025, when all suspects are expected to appear in court.