KUMASI, Ghana (FN) — Ghanaian authorities have launched a formal investigation into the death of 20-year-old Senegalese footballer Cheikh Toure, whose body was brought to a hospital in Kumasi last week under unclear circumstances.
The probe was announced Monday, following claims by Senegal’s government that Toure was the victim of a scam and extortion scheme run by fake football recruiters. Officials allege he was murdered by his captors after being lured to Ghana under false pretenses.
Toure, a player at the Esprit Foot academy in Yeumbeul, near Dakar, had reportedly traveled to Ghana in hopes of securing trials in Morocco, according to Senegal’s Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Police said a man identifying himself as Issah, who claimed to be Toure’s brother, brought the young athlete to the hospital on Thursday in critical condition, citing an accident as the cause of his injuries. However, hospital records confirmed that Toure was already dead upon arrival, with multiple abdominal wounds.
“The circumstances surrounding the victim’s injuries remain unclear,” Ghanaian police said in a statement, adding that a comprehensive investigation is underway.
Senegal’s sports ministry has urged football clubs, academies, coaches, and families to exercise extreme caution when approached with unverified offers of trials or international transfers.
Meanwhile, Senegal’s foreign ministry has dispatched two representatives from its embassy in Ghana to assist local authorities and support the repatriation of Toure’s body.
