Yaw Afriyie suspected his wife of infidelity before burning her, 5 children, 1 grandchild

A community in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality is reeling after a deeply disturbing domestic tragedy that claimed the lives of a mother, her five children, and a grandchild.

The incident, which occurred last Saturday at Akyempim in the Central Region, is suspected to have been deliberately planned and executed by the family’s head, Yaw Afriyie, popularly known as Batman, who was reportedly having potency issues and had suspected his wife of adultery

According to investigators, the tragic event was the culmination of a long, abusive marriage marked by repeated violence and unresolved conflict. Afriyie, a farmer and small-scale miner, had reportedly subjected his wife, Ama Dapaah, and their children to years of severe physical assault. Community members described the household as one frequently torn apart by fear, intimidation, and trauma.

The abuse had become so extreme that Afriyie was recently sentenced to three months in prison for causing serious injuries to two of his children. The injuries occurred when he allegedly threw a weapon at his wife, only for it to hit the children instead. However, despite the violent history, Mrs Dapaah pleaded with the court for leniency, explaining that he was the family’s primary provider.

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Upon his release, the couple reunited briefly. But according to police reports, the violence only escalated. Attempts by both families to mediate the conflict failed, forcing Mrs Dapaah to relocate with her children to her parents’ home within the same community.

The Night of the Incident

Eyewitness accounts indicate that on the night of the tragedy, Afriyie confronted his wife outside the house shortly after midnight. He questioned her presence outside at that hour and insisted she return indoors. That was the last time she was seen alive.

Investigations by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) suggest Afriyie deliberately locked his wife, five children, and a grandchild inside a bedroom before setting the room ablaze. Firefighters arrived at 1:20 a.m., but the flames had already consumed the room, leaving no chance of rescue. The charred remains were later retrieved and handed over to the police for further investigation.

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Suspect Found Dead

In a grim turn of events, Afriyie’s body was found hours later hanging from a tree in a nearby bush, pointing strongly to suicide.

DSP Simon Boavo, Upper Denkyira East Municipal Police Commander, confirmed that neighbours had previously heard Afriyie threaten to kill his wife and later take his own life. Unfortunately, those warnings were never officially reported, preventing timely intervention.

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The bodies of the victims are currently at the Dunkwa Municipal Government Hospital mortuary, awaiting post-mortem examinations.

Authorities describe the case as one of the most devastating domestic violence tragedies in recent memory, urging communities to take threats and signs of abuse seriously and report them early.