By: | Voltaonlinegh.com |
Residents of Alavanyo-Dzogbedze in the Hohoe municipality are demanding an independent probe into circumstances which led to the killing of two indigenes by a joint police-military task force in the area last Sunday.
There was an uneasy calm in the area after the joint security task reportedly clashed with some agitating youth and in the process shot and killed the two persons and injured at least six others during an operation in the area.
Report from the area suggested that, the Police had sought the assistance of the Chief of Alavanyo Dzogbedze to help retrieve handcuffs that had gone missing during an arrest operation early in the day.
According to the Queen Mother of Alavanyo, Mama Ametor II, Alavanyo-Dzogbedze which is the first town from Kpando had some Indian Hemp (wee) farm. Although there was a Joint Police and Military camp at Alavanyo-Kpeme overseeing the area, a Police patrol team went to the farm without their knowledge to undertake a wee operation at about midday.
She alleged that the Officers who went to the farm and requested for money, but the owner refused, making the officers burn the farm. They then arrested the owner and two other guys, which infuriated the youth of the town. They then assisted the three guys who were handcuffed to escape arrest.
The Police left the town only to return at about 6:00pm that same day to talk to the Commander of the Military Team at Alavanyo to assist them retrieve their handcuffs. They met the Alavanyo Dzogbedze Chief who assured them of getting their handcuffs back.
Unfortunately, when they were returning, the crowd gathered in the town hooted at them. Few moments later gunshots were heard, leading to the death of two men and injury of six others.
Contradictions
This account however contradicts that of the Police, as the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis E. Doku told the media on Monday morning that the six officers that went there on Sunday Afternoon, included officers from the SWAT unit to intercept illegal arms and not Indian Hemp.
He said residents attacked his officers leaving one unconscious. They freed their suspects and took an Ak47 Rifle and three handcuffs.
The team reported the incident at Kpando Divisional Police command where another team went in the evening to retrieve the gun and the handcuffs. On returning the team was shot at by unknown assailants from the bush and the Police returned fire leading to the two deaths and injuries.
Although the Regional Police Commander claimed in his interaction with the media hours before midday that his men had visited the scene and conveyed the body to the morgue, it emerged that his men were not on the ground as at then.
This portal can authoritatively report that the corpses were conveyed at 1:30pm Monday in the presence of the Hohoe MCE and the Queen mother of Alavanyo
Checks in the area revealed the bodies of the deceased persons remained at the scene for several hours before they were finally conveyed to the morgue later on Monday.
Information gathered indicated that, police officers assigned to go and assess the two corpses and convey same to the morgue did not go, for fear of their lives.
The Officers feared that the youth in Alavanyo, particularly Dzodgedze where the incident happened will stage a reprisal attack to revenge the death of their kinsmen.
After a lot of back and forth, the bodies were finally conveyed by the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Teddy Ofori, the Queen Mother of Alavanyo Traditional Area, Mama Ametor II, a National Security and BNI official at about 1;30pm on Monday; over 15 hours after the young men died.
The Queen mother, who was not happy about the situation, wondered why the Police will allow the bodies of the same men they shot to lie down by the road side for such long.
REGSEC Meet as Alavanyo Fumes
As at the time this report was filed, the Volta Regional Security Council (REGSEC) was in a crunch meeting at Kpando with the Police and other key stakeholders.
Meanwhile, residents in Alavanyo have expressed disgust at the action of the Police and are calling on the IGP, National Security Coordinator, Interior Minister and the President to order an investigation into events leading to the cause of death of their relatives.
Mama Ametor II was not happy with the accounts of the Police describing it as half-truth as there are many inconsistencies in the accounts.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
