A 42-year-old Wa-based Imam, Ilyasu Kunateh, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Wa High Court for the defilement of a 7-year-old boy. The court found Mr Kunateh guilty after evidence presented during the trial established his involvement in the offence. According to reports, the incident occurred on January 17, 2026, when the convict allegedly offered to give the child a ride on his motorcycle.
He is said to have taken the boy to a secluded area behind the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, where the act occurred. Mr Kunateh admitted taking the child to the location but denied the allegation of defilement. However, the prosecution relied on medical evidence from experts, alongside the testimony of the child, which the court found sufficient to establish his involvement in the offence.
Following the evidence presented, the Wa High Court convicted him and imposed a 10-year custodial sentence with hard labour. The case highlights ongoing concerns around child protection and the need for stronger efforts to prevent abuse and ensure justice for victims. A 42-year-old self-styled Imam in Wa has been convicted of defiling a 7-year-old boy who lived next door.
The Wa High Court sentenced Ilyasu Konate to 10 years’ imprisonment in hard labour. The verdict ended what prosecutors called a “highly expedited trial” and delivers a warning to child abusers in Upper West, where authorities say cases of child molestation are surging. Principal State Attorney Abdul Saeed Shakur told JoyNews on Thursday that Konate capitalized on his status as a trusted neighbor to access the victim.
Konate lived in Kabenya, a suburb of Wa. So did the 7-year-old boy and his sister. “Families trusted him with their children.
He was always with them,” Mr Saaed said. “He decided to take advantage of that trust.” On the day of the assault (January 17, 2026), Konate offered the children a ride on his motorbike. He drove them to a secluded area — behind a long articulated truck parked near the tennis court, at the back of Block B, Upper West Regional Coordinating Council.
Summary from source