The seven-member jury presiding over the kidnapping and murder of the four Takoradi girls has recommended the death sentence for the two Nigerian suspects, Starr News’ Emmanuel Ohene Gyan has reported from court.
The two suspects, Samuel Udeotuk Wills and John Oji, were charged for kidnapping and murder after the bodies of Ruth Abakah, 19, Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, Ruth Love Quayson, 18 and Priscilla Koranchie, 15 were discovered in their apartment following months of a national search for the victims.
The two have been standing trial since 2019 over the four girls who went missing in 2017.
The issue gained national attention as police and national security grappled with their whereabouts even after a suspect was arrested.
DNA test was conducted among the families to ascertain the bodies after they were discovered in the home of Samuel Wills in 2019.
Trial
Earlier, the prosecution led by Chief State Attorney, Ms Patience Klinogo, had urged the jury to consider all the evidence levelled against the accused persons as they prepare to brief the court.
The prosecution, she said, had successfully proved all the offences against both accused persons beyond all reasonable doubt and the only possible verdict, in this case, was guilty on all the four-counts of conspiracy and all four counts of murder against both of the accused persons.
“I, therefore, urge you to return a verdict of guilty against both accused persons on each of the eight counts after my Lord has summed-up the case to you,” Ms Klinogo said.
She said in the light of the evidence adduced, “we submit that the two accused persons agreed to act together in this case with one common purpose of committing the offence of murder through the means of kidnapping the four girls and killing them”.
Ms Klinogo said the offence of murder as set out in Section 47 of Act 29/60 stated that, “a person who intentionally causes the death of another person by an unlawful harm commits murder, unless the murder is reduced to manslaughter by reason of an extreme provocation, or any other matter of partial excuse, as mentioned in Section 52”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
