Kendeu Murder Suspect Dies after Arrest, Police Launch Investigation

The Upper West Regional Police Command says it has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a key suspect in the murder and disappearance of two young people at Kandeu in the Wechiau area.

The suspect, identified as Abu Tijani alias Master One, a 35-year-old youth leader of Wechiau, was arrested on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in connection with the case.

According to a statement issued by the Upper West Regional Police Command on July 28, Abu Tijani had earlier escaped arrest on May 11, 2026, and was subsequently placed on the Police wanted list.

The Police said the suspect resisted arrest and injured two officers before he was eventually overpowered and arrested.

During interrogation, the Police said, the suspect admitted involvement in the incident and disclosed that the bodies of the two victims had initially been buried at a location in Wechiau before being exhumed and reburied across the Black Volta River in Burkina Faso.

The suspect subsequently led investigators to an initial burial site about three kilometres west of Wechiau towards the Black Volta River. However, the Police said a search of the site yielded no human remains, as the suspect claimed the bodies had been relocated several days after burial.

Suspect dies after complaining of severe headache

The Police said that after returning to Wa, the suspect was being escorted to locate one of his alleged accomplices along the Nakore road when he complained of a severe headache.

As a precaution, officers abandoned the operation and rushed him to the nearest health facility, the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital in Wa.

He was admitted at about 1 p.m. for treatment but was pronounced dead at about 4:37 p.m., according to the Police. His body has since been deposited at the Upper West Regional Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

The Regional Police Command says the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death.

The Police Regional Commander, DCOP Francis Viribaare, also met a delegation from the Wechiau Paramount Chief to brief them on the incident and expressed condolences to the deceased’s family.

The Police have appealed to the people of Wechiau to remain calm, avoid speculation and allow due process to take its course.

The Command says it remains committed to ensuring that the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death are fully established through a transparent investigation.