Nicholas Kini, one of the teenagers involved in the murder of a 10-year-old boy at Kasoa for a money ritual in 2021, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Accra High Court. His co-accused, a minor at the time of the crime, was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. However, the court referred his sentencing to the juvenile court.
The tragic incident involved the luring of the young victim into an unfinished building, where he was killed with the intent of using his body for a money ritual. Their plan was thwarted when they were caught. The presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, blamed the crime on parental neglect, stating, “Nothing but parental neglect has brought us this far.”
During the trial, it was revealed that the victim was still alive when the boys buried him in a shallow grave. A confession made by the minor during the trial implicated both teenagers. Nicholas Kini, however, denied the charges, maintaining his innocence until the court’s final ruling.
The prosecution, led by Senior State Attorney Nana Adoma Osei, called seven witnesses, including family members of the accused, to prove the case. A pathologist testified that the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and asphyxiation.
After a brief deliberation, the jury returned with a unanimous guilty verdict. Nicholas Kini was sentenced to life imprisonment, while the minor awaits sentencing by the juvenile court under Section 342 of Act 30.