A tragic incident at the Tarkwa-Simpa Police Station in the Western Region has left a family devastated and a community demanding answers, after a 15-year-old Simon Obeng allegedly committed suicide while in police custody.
Simon Obeng was arrested on Thursday, June 5, 2025, after being accused of stealing gold from his employer.
He was brought to the police station by his employer’s foreman and kept in the cells pending investigation.
According to police sources, Simon reportedly took his own life on Sunday morning, Angelonline.com.gh Correspondent, Nana Fynn reports.
The police claim they contacted the family to inform them of the incident, stating that the boy had allegedly hanged himself in the cell.
The family, however, believes there is more to the story.
A failed attempt by the foreman, Ezekiel Asare and the owner of the mining site Nana Adu, to secure the boy’s bail on Saturday, just a day before his alleged suicide, has further deepened the family’s suspicion.
They question why the bail was denied and how a minor could be left unattended to in a cell under such conditions.
Adding to the controversy, the police claim the boy wrote in his statement that he was 18 years old.
However, the boy’s mother, Akua Atta, has strongly refuted this, insisting her son was only 15 years.
“He was born in 2009. How can they say he is 18? He’s just a child. They had no right to treat him like an adult,” the heartbroken mother said.
The family is demanding an independent investigation, alleging foul play and calling on the government, the Ministry for the Interior, and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene.
“We don’t believe he killed himself. He had no reason to. This is not suicide; something happened in that cell,” a relative added.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service says it has begun internal investigations and has assured the public that the matter will be handled with transparency and professionalism.
