Africa

Ghana: Tallest man drops out of school over his feet size

A young resident of Ho, the Volta Region’s capital, who is 7.10 feet tall, has complained that his height has become an inconvenience in his life to the point where he had to drop out of school because he couldn’t find sandals or shoes for his large feet. After dropping out of Primary 5 in Ziope in the Agortime Ziope District, the young man identified as Charles Sogli, popularly known as ‘Charles taller,’ is now a welding apprentice in Ho. “I dropped out of school a...[Read More]

136 persons sentenced to death in Ghana since 2010

Although no Ghanaian president has signed the death warrants of convicts on death row since 1993, Ghana’s High Courts continue to sentence convicts to death, frequently in cases of murder. According to Amnesty International’s most recent Death Sentences and Executions report, three people will be sentenced to death after a trial in 2020. The figure is the lowest for an entire year in the last decade. According to Amnesty International, the year 2012 saw the highest number of people s...[Read More]

Imam jailed 10 years for defiling 12-year-old girl

End Modern Slavery (EMS) of Engage Now Africa (ENA) has helped to secure justice for a 12-year-old girl who was allegedly defiled by an Imam at Mameng, a village at Kwahyia in the Eastern Region. Mr. Afasi Komla, Director of Operations at Engage Now Africa who is also the leader of End Modern Slavery (EMS) team disclosed to the media that, on March 10th, 2021, Suhum Circuit Court presided over by her ladyship, Justice Effia Addison sentenced the Imam named Ishmaila Salam to 10 years imprisonment...[Read More]

Families of Taadi girls demands DNA tests and a state burial

Families of the murdered Takoradi girls have asked the government to send them copies of the DNA test results that confirmed the death of their kidnapped relatives as soon as possible. They are also demanding that the remains be returned to the families for an independent DNA test, as well as a proper state burial for the girls if the government believes they were murdered. Relatives of the murdered and kidnapped girls told Citi News today, Monday, at a press conference organised by the Concerne...[Read More]

Amnesty International queries the death penalty for the Takoradi girls’ kidnappers

Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy civil society organisation, has questioned the death penalty sentence handed down to the two convicted individuals in the kidnapping and murder of the Takoradi girls. A Sekondi High Court found the two, Samuel Udeotuk Wills and John Orji, guilty of conspiracy to murder and murder. However, in an interview with Citi News, the Campaign Coordinator of Amnesty International Ghana, Samuel Abotsey, questioned the country’s continued reliance on the ...[Read More]

Story so far: Takoradi murdered girls’ case

Citi News looks at how far this case has progressed as the Sekondi High Court, presided over by a Court of Appeal’s Judge, Justice Richard Adjei-Frimpong, and supported by a seven-member jury, prepares to rule today on the long-running murdered Takoradi kidnapped girls saga. In the case of the four Takoradi kidnapped girls, Samuel Udeotuk Wills and John Orji, both Nigerians, are charged with conspiracy and murder. The case, however, did not begin with the two. On the 16th of January 2019, ...[Read More]

Murderers of Takoradi girls sentenced to death

The Sekondi High Court, presided over by Justice Richard Agyei Frimpong, sentenced two Nigerians, Sam Udeotuk Wills and John Orji, to death for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of four girls. The verdict came after a seven-member jury found them guilty on all eight counts of conspiracy to murder and murder. After nearly three hours of deliberation, Justice Agyei Frimpong issued the verdict after reminding the two convicts’ counsel of their right to appeal within a 30-day period. Be...[Read More]

Court sets March 5 for verdict on murdered Takoradi girls’ case

The verdict in the murder trial of the two suspects in the killing of the four kidnapped Takoradi girls has been set for Friday, March 5, 2021, by a Sekondi High Court. The two accused Nigerian nationals, Sam Udeotuk Wills and John Orji, were initially charged with kidnapping conspiracy, but the charge was later changed to murder conspiracy in 2020. This came after a police forensic examination of discovered human remains confirmed the girls’ deaths. The date was set today, February 3, 202...[Read More]

Udeotuk admits to knowing two of the murdered Takoradi girls

Sam Udeotuk Wills, the first accused in the ongoing murdered Takoradi kidnapped girls case, admitted before a Sekondi High Court today, February 1, 2021, that he knew two of the four murdered kidnapped girls. Sam Wills, who is accused of murder conspiracy with his Nigerian counterpart, John Orji, stated this when he formally opened his defence at the Sekondi High Court, which is presided over by a Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Richard Adjei-Frimpong. When asked if he knew the four kidnapped gir...[Read More]

Ghana’s active case count now 5,358 and death toll hits 416

Ghana’s active COVID-19 case count has risen to 5,358 with 416 deaths. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made the announcement on Sunday, January 31, 2021, during his 23rd national address on COVID-19 management in Ghana. “As of Friday, January 29, 2021, 64 more people had tragically died in the previous two weeks, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 416.” Our hospitalisation rate is rising, with 172 critically and severely ill patients. Our hospitals have beco...[Read More]