By our reporter 6.11.2025
In a case of extreme domestic violence, a man has allegedly murdered his wife, five children and a grandchild before taking his own life.
The man identified as Yaw Afriyie before the tragic turn of events had spent three months in jail for an alleged assault on his wife and children.
But last Saturday, he took the abuse to a higher level when he set the house the family slept on fire at Akyempim in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana.
According to the Daily Graphic report Mr. Afriyie popularly known as ‘Batman’ has been married to his wife Ama Dapaah for almost a decade, but there has never been peace in their home because Afriyie who is said to be battling with impotence suspected his wife of cheating on him.
Because of the mistrust between the couple and endless fights, the family of the woman had advised her to move away from her husband’s house and she did. But Mr. Afriyie stalked her still, and on the night of the incident he was said to have spoken nice words to his estranged wife whom he met at around 12.00am, asking her to have a good night sleep.
But an hour later he allegedly set the house the family slept on fire, according to the police the door was locked from the outside preventing the family from escaping. The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived the scene 16 minutes later, but the woman and her children aged between seven months and 15 years, had been burnt to death.
Mr. Afriyie was later found hanging from a tree after taking his own life in a nearby bush on the outskirts of town.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Simon Boavo, commander of police in Upper Denkyira East Municipal lamented the tragedy, he stated that when Mr. Afriyie was locked up, it was the wife who pleaded for his release because he was the bread winner of the family.