Suspect in Kandeu double murder probe dies in police custody
A key suspect in the investigation into the alleged murder of two youths at Kandeu in the Upper West Region has died after falling ill while in police custody shortly after leading investigators to a suspected burial site.
The deceased, Abu Tijani, also known as Master One, 35, reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime and disclosed that the victims’ bodies had been exhumed from an initial burial site at Wechau and reburied across the Black Volta River in Burkina Faso to conceal the crime.
A statement issued by the Upper West Regional Police Command said the suspect, a youth leader at Wechau, was arrested on Saturday following intelligence linking him to the disappearance and alleged murder of the two youths on November 23, 2025.
The police said Abu Tijani had been on its wanted list after allegedly escaping an arrest attempt on May 11, 2026, and going into hiding.
According to the statement, the suspect resisted arrest and injured two police officers before he was subdued.
Police said that during interrogation, he admitted his involvement and led investigators to the alleged original burial site, about three kilometres west of Wechau towards the Black Volta River.
An excavation was carried out but no human remains were found, as the suspect maintained that the bodies had been moved a few days after the initial burial.
The statement continued that after returning to Wa, investigators were escorting the suspect to identify the location of one of his alleged accomplices when he complained of a severe headache while in the police vehicle.
The operation was immediately abandoned and he was rushed to the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Wa, where he was admitted at about 1 p.m. but was pronounced dead at about 4:37 p.m. despite efforts by medical personnel.
The police said the Wechau Naa and the deceased’s family had been informed, while the Upper West Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Francis Yiribaare, briefed a delegation from the Paramount Chief on the circumstances surrounding the death.
The Police Professional Standards Bureau has commenced investigations into the incident, with the Police Command is urging the public to remain calm and avoid speculation while inquiries continue.
FROM NAZIRU ALHASSAN, WA
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