26-Year-Old Man Burnt to Death in Suspected Arson Attack at Assin Fosu

A deadly fire outbreak at Mempeasem, a suburb of Assin Fosu in the Central Region, has claimed the life of a 26-year-old man, sparking tension and conflicting accounts over the cause of the blaze.

The deceased, identified as Barron Guda, popularly known as Efutu, was found dead after a wooden structure he occupied was completely destroyed by fire in the early hours of Thursday, January 8, 2026.

Emergency services were alerted around 7:00 a.m., prompting a joint response from the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service. However, by the time firefighters managed to bring the inferno under control, the victim had already perished, leaving his body badly charred.

Confirming the incident, Assistant Superintendent of Police Rosemond Duncan, the Assin Fosu District Crime Officer, said the fire was reported early, but the intensity of the blaze left no chance of survival for the victim.

In the aftermath, residents offered sharply differing accounts of what may have caused the fire. Some community members alleged that the incident was a deliberate act of arson, claiming that a group of mechanics in the area had earlier threatened to burn the deceased or force him out of the structure over allegations of theft.

According to one resident, those threats form the basis of suspicion that the fire was intentionally set.

However, other residents rejected the arson claims, suggesting the blaze may have been accidental. They alleged that the deceased had earlier been seen behaving erratically while smoking, raising the possibility that a lit cigarette may have triggered the fire.

The incident heightened tensions in the area, with some agitated youth—believed to be friends of the deceased—confronting police officers armed with sticks and clubs, demanding the immediate arrest of the mechanics accused of threatening the victim.

To prevent further unrest, the Assin Fosu District Police Command requested reinforcements from the Regional Command, Divisional Police, and the Formed Police Unit, which helped restore calm in the community.

ASP Duncan disclosed that the body has been deposited at the St Francis Xavier Hospital morgue in Assin Fosu, while investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire and whether criminal elements were involved.