BY: VoltaOnline NewsDesk
A disturbing incident of assault has hit the community of Nkwanta in the Oti Region, where three Indian Catholic priests were brutally assaulted by some residents on Wednesday, December 11.
The attack, according to information gathered by VoltaOnline, occurred while the priests were escorting a ‘DRIP’ equipment they had hired from the Nkwanta Municipal Assembly for a project.
Reports suggest the attackers, suspected to be supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), carried out the assault on suspicion that the equipment was being stolen. ‘The missionaries were beaten mercilessly without being given a chance to explain,’ a resident told VoltaOnline.
However, Rev. Fr. Joseph Kofi Nsiah, Vicar-General of the Jasikan Catholic Diocese, in whose jurisdiction the missionaries operate, confirmed in a circular that the equipment was duly hired for GHc9,700.00. ‘The priests were being accompanied by the Nkwanta South Municipal Engineer and Municipal Town Planning Officer, who were also beaten by the thugs.’
He however noted that the victims were currently receiving treatment at the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Nkwanta, while the police investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, the Youth Council of the Jasikan Catholic Diocese has strongly condemned the incident, calling for swift action from authorities to bring the perpetrators to book. The council has urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that justice is served.
This incident follows reports of ‘vigilante’ actions by NDC supporters, following the party’s recent election victory, to protect state assets from alleged theft by outgoing NPP officials.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
