The Police in Sowutoum area of Ghana have arrested a Nigerian man for allegedly stabbing a Ghanaian man to death, claiming the purported victim was a thief.
The Nigerian, 48-year-old Thompson Peter, was reported to have said he committed the act in self defence.
The incident has reportedly led to xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in Ghana, with five persons killed in reprisal so far.
The policemen who reportedly visited the alleged crime scene were also attacked and chased away by the protesting Ghanaians.
As posted on Facebook by one Ifeanyi Chukwuemeka who claimed to have studied at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, the Nigerian Ghana resident, Peter, allegedly stabbed Ghanaian 27-year-old Misbau Amadu in the head with a knife after a confrontation at his residence at about 10:00pm on Thursday.
“The victim was rushed to the Mary Lucy Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors.
“Inspector Kwabena Danso, Deputy Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), said a week ago, Thompson Peter lodged a complaint at the Sowutoum Police Station that Misbau Amadu had broken into his apartment and stolen some items.
“After taking the statement of Thompson, the PRO said the police proceeded to the residence of Misbau Amadu with the intent of inviting him to the station to help investigate the claim but he was not available.
“Thompson said at about 9:00 pm last Thursday, Misbau came to his (Thomson’s) house, armed with a knife to attack him for reporting the case to the police. In the course of the fight, Thompson said he overpowered Misbau and stabbed him in self-defence.
“The matter is still under investigations,” Inspector Kwabena Danso posited. Meanwhile, crisis has allegedly broken out in the area, with many Nigerians being attacked,” Chukwuemeka wrote.
As confirmed in another Facebook post by Stephen Chase Ebuka, Ghanaian policemen were attacked by angry youths in the crime scene because they wanted to enforce peace in the neighbourhood.
So far, Ebuka said, five Nigerians have been killed in a reprisal attack along Santa-Maria, a few kilometres away from Sowutom.
He advised every Nigerian living in the crime area to “stay indoors till things cool off.”