Police in Ghana’s Northern Region have opened a murder investigation into the deaths of three children whose bodies were discovered in the boot of a vehicle, after preliminary autopsy findings indicated that they did not die from natural causes. The deceased children have been identified as Dauda Abdul Aziz, 3; Saani Alsharaf, 5; and Dauda Fadilan, 7. Their bodies were found on Monday morning inside the boot of a black Hyundai Tucson at Koblimahagu Zoo in the Tamale Metropolis.
The children had reportedly left home on Sunday to attend Islamic classes but did not return. Sources cited by JoyNews said preliminary autopsy results suggested that the children may have been murdered. However, toxicological tests are still required to determine the specific circumstances and possible cause of death. “The autopsy revealed they did not die a natural death,” a source familiar with the investigation said, adding that “there is a need for toxicological examination to be conducted to fully establish the facts.”
The findings represent a significant development in the investigation, which has sparked widespread concern in the Northern Region. Police said the children were found in a black Hyundai Tucson with registration number AS 1770-14. The vehicle was reportedly stuck in mud, with the driver’s door and rear passenger door open, while the boot and the remaining doors were locked.
The vehicle’s owner, a member of the Ghana Immigration Service, has been arrested and taken to Accra to assist with the investigation. The officer reportedly told police that the vehicle had been stuck for five days. Authorities have since secured the vehicle for forensic examination as investigators work to determine how the children died and how their bodies came to be inside the boot.
The Inspector-General of Police has also deployed forensic and crime scene specialists to Tamale to support the investigation. Homicide investigators and intelligence officers have been assigned to assist the Northern Regional Police Command. The investigative teams are expected to examine the vehicle, the crime scene and other available evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the children’s deaths.
While the preliminary autopsy has ruled out natural causes, authorities are awaiting the results of toxicological tests, which are expected to provide further clarity on the cause and circumstances of the deaths.
Investigations remain ongoing.
