Murder Suspect Deported to Face Trial in Ghana

By Abednego Davis

A national of Niger accused of killing his fellow countryman, identified only as Hassan, was yesterday deported from Liberia to Ghana, where he is expected to stand trial for murder.

Suspect Yakouba Ide, 27, was said to have stabbed Hassan in the neck with an object believed to be a cutlass, causing his death on April 30 this year, in Takoradi, a port city in the Western Region of Ghana. He subsequently fled to Liberia, but he was arrested on May 2, in Harper, Maryland County.

On May 18, Ide was transferred by the Liberia National Police in Harper to Monrovia, Chief of Interpol Theresa J. Grando disclosed yesterday during a deportation arrangement with Ghanaian security at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP).

Grando said the arrest was due to intelligence collaboration between Liberian and Ghanaian security agencies.

Although Grando did not give further explanation as to how Ide entered Liberia, she stressed that the collaboration was so strong that nobody can commit a crime and abscond justice by fleeing to another country.

"The world is now a global village, and we are not going to allow people to commit a crime in another country and abscond to evade justice to a different country," the Liberia Interpol chief said, adding, "we as Interpol are on the alert."

Grando further explained that after Ide's arrest her office immediately contacted the governments of Ghana and Niger, before yesterday's ceremony.

Receiving the accused, Ghanaian ASP Nestor Macaulay lauded the swift effort of Liberia Interpol that led to Ide's arrest.

Macaulay said Interpol's main objective is to make the world a safer place for everybody.

"This is just one classical example of how swift Liberia's response was to the arrest of the alleged criminal," he praised Liberia security, adding, "from now on, we are going to do our best to cooperate more; this is to say, that nobody should think they can commit a crime in one country and run to another country for safety."

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