The Winneba Magistrate Court has remanded Joshua Karry Arthur, the prime suspect in the murder of Professor Mawuadem Amedeker, into police custody as investigations into the gruesome incident continue.
Prof. Amedeker, a respected Senior Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), had been reported missing for several weeks under mysterious circumstances.
His sudden disappearance prompted a widespread search and formal complaint by concerned family members and colleagues.
Tragically, his decomposed body was discovered buried just a few meters behind his private residence at Gyahadze, a quiet community in the Effutu Municipality. Police exhumed the body on Friday, May 23, following a breakthrough in their investigations.
According to police sources, the suspect, Joshua Karry Arthur, was arrested at the deceased’s residence on Thursday, May 22. Upon his arrest, several valuable items believed to belong to the late professor were retrieved from his possession.
These included a laptop, a 50-inch television, two Samsung smartphones, and a car key to a Toyota Fortuner—items police say were likely stolen from the victim.
The remains of Prof. Amedeker have since been deposited at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba for autopsy and preservation, as forensic examinations and further inquiries unfold.
The Effutu Divisional Police Command has since heightened security within the Gyahadze area, where the shocking incident has left residents gripped with fear and disbelief. Officers have been deployed to reassure the public and maintain order as the community reels from the tragedy.
In an interview, ACP Ibrahim Opoku, the Winneba Divisional Police Commander, explained that his office was alerted by university authorities about the lecturer’s disappearance on Wednesday, May 21.
“We mobilized a team to Gyahadze immediately to begin our investigations. A young man was initially picked up for questioning, but by the next day, he was nowhere to be found. Our follow-up led us to the backyard of the missing professor’s home, where we discovered a shallow grave containing a human body,” ACP Opoku stated.
Local residents later confirmed the body to be that of Prof. Amedeker. Investigators suspect foul play, noting that the professor may have been murdered before being buried in an attempt to conceal the crime.