A 40-year-old man, whose name has been given as Papa Gyabi is in the grips of the Shama District Police Command for allegedly killing his girlfriend Rita, 27, in the Western Region.

According to the police, a neighbour reported that between 12:10 am and 1 am on Saturday, he heard a struggle between his landlord Papa Gyabi and his girlfriend.

The region’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku explained that later at about 5 am, the eyewitness said he peeped through the window and found Rita lying motionless.

He immediately suspected the 27-year-old resident of Daboase Krobo has been murdered and rushed to inform the police.

The police proceeded to the scene at Shama-Kumasi near Akoromah lodge and found the suspect Papa Gyabi locked up in the room.

From within, the suspect who was wielding a hammer was heard threatening to assault anyone who dared to open the door.

The police forced the door open, overpowered the suspect, and disarmed him of the hammer.

The body of the deceased was found lying in a pool of blood with the head smashed and multiple deep wounds on the right wrist lying in a prone position wearing a pink blouse over a black skirt.

Another tenant narrated that “I heard the noise in the room. I stood at the window and pleaded with my landlord to stop but he could not listen. I wanted to push the door but realized he was holding a hammer and that prevented me from going further.”

“Before we could save the situation, the young girl was already dead,” Nana Aboagye said.

The regional crime scene management team was called to the scene and the scene was processed after which the body was removed.

The body has been deposited at the Effia Nkwata Regional morgue for preservation and autopsy.

The suspect is in police custody while the investigation is ongoing.

The community’s account

According to reports from the community, Papa is married with a kid and his wife had traveled for about a month now.

The reports further indicate that Papa Gyabi already has four children with another woman but that marriage, according to sources collapsed about four years ago.

It is also alleged that Papa Gyabi met the new girlfriend who resides at Daboase in the Shama District of the Western Region a few days ago.

Papa Gyabi, who happens to be a popular landlord in the community invited his girlfriend (Rita) over and in the process, a misunderstanding occurred.

The girlfriend, according to reports did not take matters lightly and started engaging in a physical fight with her boyfriend.

In the instance, Papa Gyabi who was holding a hammer pushed the girlfriend to a wall and that ended her life instantly. She is said to have hit her head on the wall.