Welder butchers 16-year-old tricycle rider over robbery plot gone wrong

A quiet community in the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region has been left in shock after a welder, identified as Saani Abaacha, brutally murdered a 16-year-old tricycle rider, Kwabena Boakye, in what police describe as a planned robbery gone wrong.

According to police investigators and eyewitness accounts, the gruesome incident occurred at Aduman, a farming community near Kodie, where the suspect had lived and worked for several years as a welder.

Residents say Saani, known for doing odd welding jobs and occasionally helping to transport goods, had been struggling financially in recent months.

His sudden disappearance after the killing and alleged attempt to sell the stolen tricycle have deepened suspicions of premeditation.

The Deceptive Setup

Investigations reveal that on the day of the incident, Saani approached Kwabena and two of his friends, including one identified as Kwame, under the pretext of hiring their tricycle to transport firewood he had gathered in the outskirts of Aduman.

The teenagers, unsuspecting of any foul play, agreed to help him.

As they moved further away from the town and into a secluded area, Saani reportedly sent one of the boys to buy him a drink, leaving only Kwabena and Kwame behind.

It was at this point that the suspect allegedly pulled out a machete and attacked Kwame without warning.

Kwame, though seriously wounded, managed to flee into the bush and later raised alarm in the community.

Meanwhile, Saani chased down the frightened 16-year-old Kwabena and butchered him to death, leaving his lifeless body in the bush.

Robbery and Betrayal

Police sources say Saani fled the scene with the tricycle and later handed it over to an accomplice known as Eric, alias “Mafia”, instructing him to sell it for GH¢3,500 to facilitate his escape from the region.

However, after the sale, Eric allegedly refused to remit the proceeds to Saani despite several phone calls from the fugitive welder.

Feeling betrayed, Saani went into hiding in Kumasi Asafo, where a police intelligence-led operation eventually led to his arrest.

Officers from the Afigya Kwabre District Police Command confirmed that both Saani and Eric are in custody as investigations continue.

Survivor’s Account

Kwame, the lone survivor of the attack, provided a chilling eyewitness account that has become central to the investigation.

He told police that the suspect appeared unusually quiet and tense throughout the trip and that his sudden attack was unprovoked.

Kwame’s testimony helped officers trace the crime scene and recover the blood-stained machete believed to have been used in the killing.