The Abuakwa Municipal Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man identified only as Bro Kwame, a carpenter in his 40s, who allegedly killed his co-tenant at Kyebi, the capital of the Abuakwa South Municipality in the Eastern Region.
The incident reportedly occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
According to eyewitnesses, the suspect and the deceased lived in the same compound with their families. Their children, who are close friends, often played together—an arrangement the suspect had previously expressed discomfort about.
A co-tenant, Janet Okyere, told reporters that the suspect arrived home on Saturday evening to find the deceased’s son chatting with his daughter. Unhappy with the boy’s response when questioned, the suspect allegedly beat him. The boy then called his father to report the assault.
Janet explained that when the deceased returned to confront the suspect about why he had beaten his son, the confrontation escalated. The suspect allegedly slapped him several times, went into his room, returned with a machete, and slashed his throat before fleeing the scene.
The tragic incident quickly drew an angry crowd. The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, who was nearby at the time, rushed to the scene to calm tensions.
He extended his condolences to the bereaved family and urged security agencies at the regional, divisional, and municipal levels to intensify efforts to curb illicit drug abuse and related crimes in the municipality.
The deceased, believed to be in his 50s, is reported to be a staff member of the Kyebi Presbyterian Education Unit. Authorities are expected to release his identity after notifying the family.