Derrick Bamfo Ampomah, a Ghanaian student who lost his life in a devastating fire allegedly started by his landlord, has been laid to rest at the Lefkoşa Cemetery.

Housemate Edward shared his heartfelt account of the tragic events with YENIDUZEN and Kanal SIM at the funeral.
He recalled their last day together: “We returned from school, watched a game, and Derrick even joked with me. That was our last day together… We went to bed around 2:00 AM. I woke up to Derrick’s screams, realizing the house was on fire.”

“I quickly jumped out of the window. The entire building was ablaze, with people trying to evacuate from both upper and lower floors. I searched for water to extinguish the fire but discovered the water supply had been cut off since noon.”

Edward witnessed his friend’s struggle in the fire and tried to help, saying, “I ran inside, screaming, to help him, but it was impossible. At around 2:34 AM, his older brother and I managed to pull him out and rushed him to the hospital. Unfortunately, we lost him there.” Overcome with emotion, Edward demanded justice: “Our only prayer is for justice to be served! We want justice!” He broke down in tears. Edward’s emotional tribute highlighted the close bond he shared with Derrick, making his loss even more poignant. The incident raises concerns about landlord accountability and fire safety measures. Meanwhile, Cyprusnews247 in a post on its Instagram page, reported that three people had been arrested in connection with Ampomah’s death and the serious injuries sustained by his roommate, Jonathan Maukle Adjabeng. It is alleged that two people set the apartment on fire on orders from the landlord, identified as a detained suspect named MT.
During the third hearing at the Lefkoşa District Court yesterday morning, police reported that they had collected 45 statements. They claimed to have found a suspect’s fingerprint on a camera recorder and matched a slipper found in the suspect’s house to a slipper print in the burned building. The suspect reportedly became distressed following incident.

The police stated that the investigation, initially classified as a Murder case, is now progressing towards a charge of Premeditated Murder.

The court, citing pending statements and data examinations, decided to extend the detention of all three suspects by another seven days.