Soldier remanded over alleged murder of 45-year-old man at Afienya

The Ashaiman District Court has ordered a 43-year-old soldier, WOII Dzisenu Ben, to be held in police custody for allegedly murdering 45-year-old Abdul Shaban near Afienya. WOII Dzisenu, charged with murder under Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, did not enter a plea during his hearing. The case will be heard again on August 27, 2026.

Inspector Henry Tetteh Nartey, representing the prosecution, stated that on August 23, 2025, WOII Dzisenu and WOI Yamoah Mark from the Base Ammunition Depot visited the Afienya Police Station to report an incident at Mawugbedzibe. According to the prosecution, the two claimed that while on their land at Mawugbedzibe, an unknown individual assaulted WOII Dzisenu and tried to take away his M16 rifle, causing the soldier to shoot the assailant.

Police officers then accompanied the two men to the scene where they discovered Shaban's lifeless body. The deceased was found with a gunshot wound to the upper chest near his neck. His body was sent to the Tema General Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy after being declared dead. The prosecution mentioned that the rifle, identified as No. 000470-11, its magazine, and ammunition were seized for investigation.

A post-mortem examination conducted by Dr Eric Dumfeh, a pathologist at Tema General Hospital, concluded that the cause of death was a penetrating gunshot wound to the heart. The prosecution noted that a bullet taken from the victim's body was sent to the Police Forensic Laboratory for ballistic analysis. The pathologist's report supported the claim that the wound was caused by a near-contact, angled gunshot, suggesting the shooter was at a higher level than the victim.

Both WOII Dzisenu and WOI Yamoah Mark subsequently submitted written investigation caution statements in the presence of an independent witness. The case file was then forwarded to the Attorney-General's Office for assessment. Following the advice of the Attorney-General, the police formally charged WOII Dzisenu with murder and brought him before the Ashaiman District Court.