The Ghana Armed Forces has rubbished reports suggesting that soldiers deployed to Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region have manhandled some residents in the area for lynching their colleague, Captain Adam Mahama.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Upper Denkyira West District, Daniel Apiannin, had given indications that the military officers had invaded the area and taken about 80 men hostage, while women and children had been camped in a church situated in the area.
“I was at the scene, they’ve arrested a lot of men, they’ve beaten a number of them, they’ve camped women and children in a church. What happened when the robbery happened? Didn’t we realize that we need to bring security to come and protect the people? One person is dead and it is bringing the entire military to the place. This is the country we are living in.”
He added that “I’ve seen it myself, at least I saw about 80 men lined up on the floor. The women and children have been camped in a church. The military people were saying that unless they get their gun, they are not leaving them. I spoke to their commander; I went there with my district police commander, BNI and other security operatives in the district. The security men are saying they will only leave when they retrieve their gun,” the DCE said.
But speaking on Eyewitness News, the Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. Aggrey Quarshie, dismissed these reports, clarifying that the military officers “are not there to threaten anybody.”
While emphasizing that the officers will not brutalize any resident for the said incident, Col Quarshie also explained that, the officers only visited the area to provide protection for some officers who had been tasked to investigate the incident.
“They are not there to threaten anybody but definitely they will help to provide protection for the investigators. I don’t think the officers will go brutalizing anybody because they have been spoken to. A whole Chief of Army staff has been there so I don’t think the officers will go brutalizing people.”
“Our personnel are still on the ground, they went there to perform a duty and until the task order is withdrawn, they will continue to be there. And that is even the more reason why they need to develop good neighborliness with the people and the people should also understand that they are there in their own interest so they can operate peacefully together,” Col. Quarshie added.
Asked whether the security personnel deployed to the area would retrieve Captain Mahama’s pistol believed to have been taken from him after he was lynched, Col Quarshie responded in the affirmative, saying “Definitely …If they themselves have seen that the man was carrying the pistol , then definitely somebody has the pistol so they need to find the pistol. There are investigators there and so I am sure it will be part of the things they will be looking for.”
Captain Mahama was lynched and burnt by some residents in Diaso, after he was supposedly mistaken for an armed robber.
Meanwhile, the Central Regional Police Command has arrested five persons suspected to have taken part in the tragic killing of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama at Diaso, a town near Denkyira-Obuasi.
Confirming the arrest to Citi News, the Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, said police acted on some leads after investigations in the town on Tuesday.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
