The Inspector General of Police (IGP), COP David Asante Apeatu, believes the relocation of residents at Old Fadama will help in the policing of the area and guarantee the stability in the area.
Speaking at a press conference at the Police Headquarters in Accra, the IGP noted that the unfavourable terrain of Ghana’s biggest slum made policing and intelligence gathering difficult.
He was speaking after clashes between Konkombas and Dagombas at the Agbogbloshie Yam Market on Tuesday which left two dead and others injured.
Reports indicated that some members of the feuding sides were wielding assault rifles and the Member of Parliament for Odododiodio, the area’s constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, lamented the proliferation of illicit arms in the slum.
COP Apeatu reminded that nature of the Old Fadama slum had prompted previous attempts to relocate the residents of Old Fadama but to no avail.
“It is not very easy at all to gather the intelligence that we may require. We are aware that some crimes are being committed in there and it is such a difficult terrain,” he noted.
Thus the IGP said a major solution to the problem presented by Old Fadama “is for us to ensure that the people are relocated.”
“With intelligence, we may gather it but for 100 percent, we are unable to achieve. These are some of the lapses in intelligence gathering that occasionally we encounter.”
The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Derry, has since directed COP Apeatu, to meet with the leaders of the Dagombas and Konkombas at Agbogbloshie in Accra today [Thursday].
The Interior Minister said the meeting would afford the feuding factions the opportunity to present their grievances to the security agencies for an amicable solution to be fashioned out.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)