Man Sentenced to 25 Months for Destroying Three Vehicles in Fire
Emmanuel Lewis Ebuka was convicted on three counts of unlawful damage after the fire destroyed vehicles worth GH¢195,000.
- Man jailed for 25 months
- Three vehicles destroyed by fire
- Cars valued at GH¢195,000
The Accra Circuit Court 10 has sentenced a 35-year-old man to 25 months in prison with hard labour for unlawfully setting fire to vehicles at a mechanic shop, destroying three cars valued at GH¢195,000.
Emmanuel Lewis Ebuka, who denied causing the damage, was convicted on three counts of unlawful damage after the court found him culpable.
The court sentenced him to 25 months’ imprisonment with hard labour on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Clement Takyi told the court that the complainant, Joshua Nii Kuntso Alabi, is an auto mechanic based in Nungua, Accra.
The court heard that Ebuka, an unemployed man with no fixed place of abode, was found sleeping in one of the vehicles parked at Alabi’s workshop at Teshie Fertiliser in July 2025.
Workers at the shop reportedly ordered him to leave and warned him not to return.
According to the prosecution, Ebuka returned to the workshop at about midnight on August 8, 2025, entered a Chrysler Voyager with registration number GT 242 Z and smoked inside the vehicle.
He allegedly threw the cigarette butt inside the vehicle after smoking, causing it to catch fire.
The prosecution said Ebuka fled after realising that someone had seen him.
The fire later spread to other vehicles parked at the workshop, including a Ford Ranger pickup with registration number GW 2615 R, a Toyota 4Runner with registration number GS 1990 Z and a Toyota Tacoma pickup with registration number GC 1421-10.
The complainant and his workers attempted to put out the fire before personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service arrived.
The court heard that the Chrysler Voyager, Ford Ranger and Toyota 4Runner were completely destroyed, while the Toyota Tacoma sustained partial damage.
The destroyed vehicles were valued at GH¢75,000, GH¢40,000 and GH¢80,000 respectively, bringing the total value of the loss to GH¢195,000.
Chief Inspector Takyi told the court that Ebuka was later arrested and admitted to the offence in his caution statement.
Following investigations, he was charged and prosecuted, leading to his conviction and sentence.
