KNUST Mourns As Murder Victim Joana Deladem Yabani Is Laid To Rest

Emotions ran high on Saturday, April 5, as Joana Deladem Yabani, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) student allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, was laid to rest under solemn and tightly observed funeral protocols.

The burial service, held at the Jehovah Shammah Assemblies of God auditorium in Ashongman, was filled with grief as family, friends, and sympathizers gathered to bid a heartbreaking farewell to a young woman whose promising life was tragically cut short.

The ceremony drew a large crowd, including Joana’s schoolmates, colleagues, and dignitaries such as Cyril Nsiah and the Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, George Amoh. Representatives from her alma maters—Achimota School and KNUST—also showed up in significant numbers to honor her memory and legacy.

Despite intense public interest in the case, media access to the final funeral rites was strictly limited, in accordance with directives from the legal team overseeing the ongoing murder trial. Journalists were barred from entering the main auditorium, where the private service was conducted away from cameras and public view.

After the solemn service, Joana’s body was transported to her hometown, Hohoe Logba in the Volta Region, for interment.

Some mourners who knew Joana through her mother described her as a gentle and kind-hearted young woman. Among them was Adeline Baidoo, President of the Ghana Women Forum and a lecturer at Accra Technical University, who took the opportunity to speak out strongly against domestic abuse.

“I was once in a toxic relationship,” she shared. “I left when my husband started beating me. If I hadn’t left, I don’t know what would have happened to me by now.” She urged women to prioritize their safety, encouraging them not to remain silent or endure abuse in the name of love or loyalty.

Joana Deladem Yabani’s lifeless body was discovered on February 27 near the Rehabilitation and Disability Centre on the KNUST campus. Preliminary investigations by the police pointed to her alleged boyfriend, Daniel Tuffour, who was subsequently arrested and is currently standing trial for her death.