Two teenagers have been found guilty of the gruesome murder of a 10-year-old boy at Kasoa in the Central Region in 2021.

After a three-year trial, the High Court convicted both for murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Nicholas Kini, the second accused, who was 18 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Due to the age of the first accused, who was only 15 when the crime occurred, his sentencing has been referred to a juvenile court.

The tragic incident came to light when the first accused admitted that their plan was influenced by a video of a spiritualist promising wealth in exchange for human blood and GH¢5,000.

The boys conspired to kidnap the young victim, demand ransom, and meet the spiritualist's requirements.

The victim was lured to an uncompleted building under the false pretence of receiving a game.

Once there, he was brutally attacked with a stick and cement blocks despite pleading for his life.

He was then buried alive, with a post-mortem later confirming suffocation as the cause of death.

During the trial, seven witnesses, including the victim’s father and police officers, gave key testimonies that helped build the case against the accused.

The court heard how the boy’s body was discovered by his father after a frantic search, which led to the arrest of both suspects.

Although Kini denied any involvement, claiming he was elsewhere during the murder, the jury found his defense unconvincing.

After reviewing the evidence, they returned a unanimous guilty verdict for both murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Kini has begun serving his life sentence, while the first accused awaits a separate sentence in juvenile court.