Sabon Zongo murder case: Five suspects remanded as relatives clash outside court

Tensions broke out outside the Asokore Mampong District Court on Friday after five suspects were remanded for a second time over the alleged murder of 27-year-old Yusuf Zakari in Sabon Zongo.

The court was told that Zakari was attacked at a cattle kraal on 19 July after being accused of stealing GH₵4,800. Police said he suffered severe injuries during the assault and was taken first to Manhyia Government Hospital before being referred to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspects appearing before the court are Moses Adoko, 37, a plumber; Abubakari Adams, 25, a herdsman; Nurudeen Suleman, 35, a motor mechanic; Mohammed Amadu, 21, also known as “One God”; and Halidu Issaka, 22, who is also referred to as “One God”.

They were remanded during a committal hearing into the alleged killing. The proceedings are part of the legal process to determine the next stage of the case.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Gifty Asante, asked the court to keep the five men in police custody. It said investigators needed more time to continue their work and trace other people believed to have been involved in the incident who remain at large.

Lawyers for the accused persons, Wilfred Nana Asabre Mensah, Isaac Sakyi and Evans Osei Bonsu, opposed the application.

They told the court that their clients were not flight risks and would return whenever they were required to attend proceedings. Despite that argument, the court granted the prosecution’s request.

In her ruling, Her Ladyship Mrs Hilder Esther Wryter ordered that all five accused persons remain in custody. They are due to appear again before the court on 24 August 2026.

The decision was followed by an increasingly hostile atmosphere outside the courtroom, where relatives of both the accused and the deceased voiced their frustrations.

What began as a disagreement between the two groups developed into heated verbal exchanges before turning into a physical confrontation. Security personnel intervened to restore order and prevent the situation from escalating further.

A relative of the deceased claimed that two people were injured during the scuffle.

The case centres on the death of Zakari, who police say was assaulted after the allegation that he had stolen the money. The five men have been accused in connection with the incident, while investigators continue efforts to identify and locate other suspects said to be linked to the alleged murder.