- Daniel Tuffuor, the prime suspect in the murder of KNUST student Joana Yabani, has appeared before the court again
- The case has dragged on for more than a year, marked by repeated adjournments and remands since Joana’s body was found on campus in February 2025
- Joana’s mother recently broke her silence, revealing chilling words allegedly spoken by the suspect before her daughter’s death
Daniel Tuffuor, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) student standing accused of murdering his girlfriend on campus, has appeared before the court again as proceedings in the case continue, more than a year after the death that shook the university community.
Tuffour has remained in custody since his arrest, with the case moving through a long cycle of court appearances and adjournments as the legal process grinds on.
The tragedy that shook KNUST
The lifeless body of Joana Deladem Yabani, a final-year Biological Sciences student, was discovered near the KNUST Disability and Rehabilitation Centre in the early hours of February 27, 2025. The university’s security services reported the discovery to the police, and Tuffour, also a final-year student and Joana’s boyfriend, was arrested within hours.
CCTV footage from the scene reportedly captured a man believed to be the suspect strangling her following an altercation. According to accounts shared by the KNUST Gazette at the time, the suspect also allegedly took the deceased’s electronic gadgets, including her laptop, and concealed them in an apparent attempt to cover his tracks, before telling friends he had simply parted ways with her after a brief argument.
The two had reportedly dated from Level 100 through to their final year, though the relationship was said to be deeply troubled. Sources revealed the couple had visited the KNUST counselling centre multiple times, and Joana’s father had advised them to separate.
A case of painful delays
Tuffour was first arraigned before the court in Kumasi in February 2025 and has been remanded repeatedly since, with the case docket sent to the Attorney-General’s office for advice. The slow pace of proceedings has drawn public frustration, with the case even being cited in legal circles as an example of the delays plaguing Ghana’s court system.
Watch the video of Daniel Tuffuor appearing in Court below;
Daniel Tuffuor, the KNUST student who was picked up as the prime suspect in the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Joana Yabani, has appeared before the court again as proceedings continue months after her death.
[🎥: Gossip24tv] pic.twitter.com/6IS7liBEnP
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) July 7, 2026
Earlier this year, Joana’s mother, Rejoice Amakie Yabani, broke her silence in an emotional appearance on GTV’s Women’s Voice programme. She revealed that the family’s own investigations had uncovered chilling words allegedly spoken by the suspect before her daughter’s death: that if Joana could not be his, she could not be for anybody.
She also disclosed that Joana had complained to her parents about the suspect’s persistent pestering, prompting her father to confront him at school and warn him to leave her alone to focus on her education.
A community still waiting for answers
Each court appearance renews attention on a case that sparked national conversations about relationship abuse, campus security, and the safety of young women in Ghana’s universities. For Joana’s family, friends, and the KNUST community, the hope remains that the wheels of justice, however slowly they have turned, will eventually deliver answers and accountability.
Nsemwokrom.com will continue to follow proceedings and provide updates as the case develops.
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