Man jailed four years for knife attack on senior police officer

A 23-year-old man has been handed a four-year prison sentence after admitting to repeatedly stabbing a senior police officer during an early-morning attack at McCarthy Hills in Accra.

Rashid Cidi, who is unemployed, appeared before an Accra Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of causing harm. He was convicted on his own plea by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, the presiding judge.

Prosecutors told the court that the victim, ASP Samuel A. Boah, lives in the same neighbourhood as Cidi. Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, who led the prosecution, said residents had long complained that Cidi engaged in illegal drug activity and frequently harassed people in the area.

According to the prosecution, the first confrontation occurred on 7 July 2025, when Cidi attempted to attack the officer without provocation. ASP Boah, who was armed, fired a warning shot to ward him off, prompting Cidi to flee.

The following morning, while ASP Boah was escorting his children to school, Cidi reportedly reappeared—this time carrying a jack knife.

Prosecutors said the officer again tried to fire warning shots, but Cidi charged at him regardless. A violent struggle broke out, during which Cidi stabbed the officer several times in the back.

ASP Boah suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Police Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment.
Police later recovered the jack knife from the scene.

Cidi vanished from the area immediately after the assault and remained in hiding for more than four months. He was eventually arrested on 17 November 2025 and, during questioning, confirmed that the knife retrieved by investigators was the one used in the attack.

Having admitted the offence in court, he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.