Renowned Criminologist, Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah says the involvement of the public in volunteering information is key in helping the police get to the bottom of murder cases.

According to him, the work of the police in investigating murder cases is enhanced, “when citizens are prepared to give tip-offs” leading to the arrest and prosecution of culprits.

The acting head of the Law Faculty at Central University College was speaking to Joy Midday News Wednesday  on the murder of the Distict Chief Executive for Nkwanta South in the Volta Region, Peter Kojo Keyensu, who was shot in front of his house Monday.

Keyensu was shot at close range by an unknown assailant while searching for his mobile phone in his car, his Personal Assistant, Samuel Mawutor told Joy News.

This is not the first time in recent times that persons have been shot and killed under mysterious circumstances and this year has seen quite a number. 

In March, the Accra police command  arrested five persons in connection with the murder of Fidelity Bank worker, Emmanuel Asante Akufo who was robbed and killed in Odorkor. His murder brought to three the total number of bank staff killed within Accra and Tema in just three months. 

Earlier in the year, the UK Vice Vice Chair of the Convention People's Party (CPP) was shot and killed at his Amasaman residence. 

With the police's inability to make convictions in the murders, many Ghanaians are questioning the ability of the police service to solve these cases. 

However, Prof. Attafuah says the investigative capacity of the police would be “over-hyped” if  people fail to give useful tip-offs.

“Most other murders are planned [and] unless those who know, give tip-offs to the police, the police are not magicians to resolve murder cases,” he told Francisca Kakra Forson.

“If we don’t give them the information…we are all in trouble,” he added.

But Prof. Attafuah believes the recent incident could be a contract killing, saying it is not the case that the suspect is on “a killing spree”.