The family of Joana Deladem Yabani, a final-year Biological Sciences student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has petitioned the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police to speed up the ongoing trial concerning her murder.
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, November 5, under the hashtag #JusticeForJoana, Joana’s sisters expressed deep frustration over the slow pace of the court proceedings, which they said have been repeatedly delayed by multiple adjournments.
According to them, these delays have prolonged their grief and weakened their confidence in the justice system.
“Joana was a young and vibrant life, brutally murdered on the KNUST campus on 27 February 2025. In the months that have followed, we keep asking the same questions. How do we heal from this pain when justice has still not been served? What assurance do we have that our school environments are safe when such violence can occur on our campuses?” one sister said.
Another added:
“We have attended several court hearings after the initial appearance, yet the process keeps being adjourned. This raises a serious concern. What exactly is happening within our judicial system regarding this case? Is there not enough evidence to secure a conviction for the accused by now?”
Background
Joana was discovered dead on February 27, 2025, behind the Central Laboratory on the KNUST campus.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Daniel Tuffour, a student believed to have been in a relationship with her. CCTV footage reportedly captured the two together on campus before the incident.
The case has been in court since March 2025, but repeated adjournments have delayed progress — prompting the family’s recent plea for intervention from the Attorney-General and the IGP.
