Police in Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu District of the North East Region is on a hunt for two suspects who set a 64-year-old woman on fire.
The victim is currently on admission at the Tamale Teaching Hospital with severe burn injuries after she was rushed to the facility by one of her sons. Linlaar Akua’s only crime was refusing to release her tricycle to suspects in the middle of the night for them to convey something she suspected might have been a stolen item and did not want to be associated though the machine is used for commercial purposes.
According to the police, a fortnight ago, one Mathew Patuka and Laari Sujurka both natives of Nakpanduri visited the victim at about 1 am, woke her from sleep and claimed that they wanted her tricycle to cart their goods somewhere.
She declined with the excuse that it was too late in the night and that the machine was not in good condition for that purpose.
They however left and returned the following day at about 9 am and threatened to kill her for accusing them of being thieves after she indicated that soon after they left, she was unable to find her mobile phone.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police in Nakpanduri but before an action could be taken, the suspects visited the home of the woman on January 16, 2021, poured petrol on her and set her on fire with matches.
An attempt to arrest them failed as they escaped even before the police could arrive.
The victim had to be rushed to a health facility in Tamale where she is on admission responding to treatment while police are on a hunt for the two suspects on the run.
