On Friday, March 3, 2023, a delegation from the Ghana Police Serviceand the Lands Ministry visited the 504 housing units being built for the Ghana Police Service under the direction of Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who is also in charge of land and forestry.
His visit also served as a preliminary handing over preparations and site tour ahead of the official handing over of the police apartments under construction at Kwabenya (Atomic) a suburb of Accra.
At a recently held news conference by the Lands Ministry, Sector Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor disclosed that some State agencies within the vast acres of land around the Kotoka International Airport are being relocated to Kwabenya, to pave way for the redevelopment of the area into a modern commercial hub.
According to the Minister, the agencies within the enclave to be moved, includes the Ghana Police Service, DVLA, Ghana Airport Company Limited, and the Ghana Meteorological Agency.
In the company of the Deputy Minister on the visit were the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Mr. James Dadson, officials from the Lands Ministry and the Ghana Police Service.
As part of the Police Action Against Rider Indiscipline (PAARI)campaign over 250 motorcycle riders have been arrested by the police in Accra for violating traffic light rules.
OPERATION PAARI, a road safety intervention to check indiscipline among motorcycle users on Ghana’s roads was launched in April last year as a result of road traffic accidents in the country.
As part of the strategy, according to the police, motorcycle users who were arrested in violation of road traffic regulations and other traffic offences within the period were sensitised and taken through some road traffic education and subsequently cautioned to be law-abiding.
“Following the introduction of the initiative, it has been observed that a good number of riders are now obeying traffic regulations, especially in the areas of not jumping the red light, avoiding riding on pedestrian walkways and facing oncoming traffic,” the police said in a statement on Friday, March 3.
“The benefit of Operation PAARI is reflected in available data on road traffic accidents in the country which indicates that for the first time in a long while, road traffic crashes involving motorbikes have reduced significantly.”
In order to sustain the gains made in this regard, the police have intensified the operation and have deployed special teams at traffic intersections starting in Accra.
The Ghana Police Service explained that the officers who will also be on motorbikes will patiently follow any rider who jumps the red light to their destination, confront them with the offence and arrest them.
“This is to create a sense of certainty of arrest and thereby encourage some level of self-discipline among the riding public.”
In the past three days, over 250 motorbike riders have been arrested for jumping the red light at various traffic intersections in Accra.
All the arrested riders will be taken through road safety education and the dangers their conduct pose to themselves and other road users; after which they will be taken through the due process of the law.
“While we commend all law-abiding riders for adhering to road traffic regulations, we would like to caution recalcitrant riders against the blatant disregard for traffic regulations since the law will definitely catch up with them.
“We will continue to count on the support of the public to make this programme a success to ensure sanity and safety prevail on our roads.”
Twelve people have been detained for their involvement in illegal cyber crimes, according to theGhana Police Service.
According to a statement issued by the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, March 2, 2023, the suspects engaged in the impersonation of prominent persons on social media to defraud unsuspecting victims.
“The Police through a sustained cyber-intelligence operation have arrested twelve (12) suspects and are pursuing over 25 others for their involvement in cyber-related crimes.
“Investigation has established that the modus of the criminal syndicate is to impersonate or hack into the social media accounts of prominent persons including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament (MPs), Heads of government institutions and corporate entities to defraud unsuspecting victims of various sums of money by promising them jobs, scholarships, publication of fake promotional advertisements and sale of products among others,” the police said.
The names of the 12 suspects were listed as Gideon Kove alias Billions, Felicia Nanewortor, Carl Kristal, Safari Zatey, Eric Acquah alias Cent Mona, Richard Agbadzi, Isaac Dortsue alias Barajah, Samuel Gadre, Moses Otchie alias Razak, Yonnah Boso, Sterling Kwame Doe and Wisdom Tornyie.
The police added that the operation to crackdown on cybercrimes has also led to the deletion of over 900 fake social media accounts created by the suspects.
“As part of the operation, nine hundred and seventy-three (973) fake social media accounts created by the suspects in the names of these prominent persons and corporate entities have been pulled down. 785 of the fake accounts were in the names of MPs, 62 in the names of security officials,136 for Ministers of State, Ambassadors and some heads of institutions.
“The Police have also recovered thirty-two (32) mobile phones, three (3) laptops and fifty-four (54) SIM cards used by the suspects to commit their crimes,” the statementadded.
The police further tasked members of the public who have fallen victims to the arrested suspects to call the number 0249850601 which has been dedicated solely for the operation for further action.
The suspects according to the police are assisting in investigations and will be put before court to face justice.
The University of Ghana has granted bail in the sum of GH $50,000 for the 18students who were detained for allegedly causing disturbances on campus.
The students were picked up last week by the Ghana Police Service following a clash on the University of Ghana campus on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
The 18 were among aggrieved past and continuing students who stormed the University premises to protest Management’s new residential policy restricting continuing students from occupying the Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah residential Halls to make way for level 100 and graduate students.
Subsequently, the students were put before an Accra Circuit Court and remanded into custody for unlawful conduct.
Appearing before Circuit Court 4 on February 20, the students were granted bail with two common sureties without justification.
Counsel for 16 of the 18 students, Albert Quashigah speaking after the court proceedings said the defense was only in court today to seek bail for the students which was granted.
“Our business today was only to apply for bail and the judge was generous and granted us the bail, and we are now taking steps to execute the bail that has been granted to us”.
Though he was optimistic, he feared the processes of the court may delay the bail execution and have the students released by the end of day today.
“This administrative process of the court can be a bit delayed, and we are hoping to execute the bail and have the students freed by the close of the day. It can take some time, but I am only hoping that we will be able to execute the bail to free these students, so they can return back to their studies,” Mr. Quashigah added.
Authorities atUniversity of Ghana, Legon has defended itself against claims that it disregarded a court order to stop the implementation of its new residential policy for some campus residence halls.
The university, in a press statement, insisted that though it did not second the injunction secured over the modality in Mensah Sarbah Hall and Commonwealth Hall, it complied.
This follows police clashes with students on February 14, during a protest where some affected former residents of the Commonwealth Halllamented the management’s lack of response to the court ruling.
The development led to the arrest of some 18 persons by the Ghana Police Service, some of whom the University says are not students.
In the statement dated February 16, the Registrar, Emelia Agyei-Mensah explained that “in spite of the difficulty in comprehending the ex parte order, as it related to a decision that did not exist, upon receipt of the order, the University immediately stopped further allocation of rooms at Commonwealth Hall out of the abundance of caution.”
The university clarified that it released the “second order of the Court by the same judge was obtained on February 9, 2023, and served on the University on February 14, 2023, the same day that the illegal procession and breach of peace by the group took place.”
The press release also reminded students of the institution’s regulations and advised that appropriate channels are explored in seeking redress devoid of violence.
“Any student who attempts to disrupt the peace on campus will be dealt with according to the laws and regulations of the university,” it added.
Meanwhile, the management also clarified that there is no ‘residential board’ in place orchestrating any policy regarding students’ residency on campus.
Rather, the administration indicated that the decision to relocate continuing students from Mensah Sarbah and Commonwealth halls to UGEL halls was made in accordance with University Council directives.
It indicated that “On January 6, 2023, the University received an ex parte order restraining the University from among others, implementing a decision of the University on a residence policy dated October 26, 2022. The University wishes to reiterate that it had not implemented a ‘residential policy decision’ dated October 26, 2022.
The statement further mentioned that there is no ‘Residence Board’ as stipulated in the accusations purported to be supervising room allocations.
“The second order was cast in similar language as the first and referred to a particular decision of the University’s ‘Residence Board’ made at a meeting of October 26, 2022. Again, the University has explained that it has not implemented a decision of the ‘Residence Board’ on residency of students dated October 26, 2022.”
It reiterated that the University Council is the body set up by law to among others to ‘do or provide for any act or thing in relation to the University which the Council considers necessary or expedient in its capacity as the governing body of the University.’
Notwithstanding the admission, it was also pointed out that the administration of the university granted all students who had been genuinely affected by the relocation the opportunity to register for housing in the UGEL halls.
“By the time the order was made, almost ninety percent (90%) of the said students had accepted residency in the re-assigned halls while about eighty (80%) of the students have actually paid and taken up residence in the re-assigned halls. Financial support was available for students who genuinely had difficulty in paying the residential fees charged for the UGEL Halls,” excerpts of the release statement indicated.
Two persons have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) following allegations of their involvement in human trafficking activities.
The two, a driver and his accomplice were picked up on Monday (13 February 2023).
The crackdown came after over 20 foreigners including children were caught sheltering near a basic school in the Asokore Municipality of the Ashanti Region, according to a report by Citi FM adding that they have spent three days in Ghana.
Although the nationals were made to believe they were embarking on a trip to Ivory Coast from Niger, the report indicated that the suspect driver and one other person who brought them into the country and said Ghana is the final destination.
Officials of the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly took action after their attention was drawn to the case leading to the arrest of the two persons.
Meanwhile, some undocumented West African nationals are believed to have been smuggled into Ghana as beggars. They are however returning to communities in the Ashanti Region after over 700 of them were recently repatriated.
Ghanaian actor, Oboy Siki has called on the Ghana Police Service and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to retrieve the license of his colleague, Don Little, as he explains that his stature doesn’t permit him to be on the road.
Oboy Siki in an interview with Kofi Adoma Nwanwani called out authorities for issuing a license to the popular actor with dwarfism.
“Ghanaian police have made a big mistake because he (Don Little) doesn’t qualify for driving with his height. He can’t even acquire a license but someone managed to obtain it for him illegally.
“The office which issues licenses put a lot of things into consideration before granting an individual a license. There are rules and regulations that guide their operations…in Ghana, we take a lot of things for granted,” he said.
Oboy Siki in reaction to a viral video that captured Don Little cruising in his car with actor Yaw Dabo, argued that the man will lose control of the steering wheel in case of an accident.
He raised safety concerns and admonished his colleague to employ a driver.
“How can he (Don Little) manage when his car hits a big pothole? What hands will he use to hold on tight to the steering wheel? He can easily fall. When they travel abroad, the white folks see them as kids… whoever got him that license is looking for his death…Yaw Dabo has never driven a car so I will admonish Don Little to desist from driving,” he advised.
The Accra headquarters of the Ghana Police Service experienced a fire outbreak on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
According to a statement via Facebook, the police said personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service reported to the scene and brought the inferno under control.
“There is a fire outbreak in one of the buildings at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
“The Ghana National Fire Service is at the scene and have succeeded in bringing the situation under control,” the Service said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately established but according to the police, there were no casualties during the incident.
“There are no casualties and the cause of the fire is yet to be established.
“We wish to thank the Fire Service team and our officers who are assisting to ensure that the Fire did not spread to the entire building,” the statement by the police added.
Meanwhile, a report by gbcghanaonline.com places the scene of the fire at an office building full of armories at the National Operations Department of the Ghana Police Headquarters.
Some tear gas explosions according to the report were heard during the outbreak which took the Fire Service about half an hour to battle.
The fire is said to have destroyed some of the armories in the cache.
Family Lawyer for the 32-year-old man who was allegedly killed by police officers at the West Hills Mall has commented on the conduct of the Ghana Police Service regarding the matter.
He says the police is trying to cover up on the case.
According to Francis Xavier-Sosu, who is the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, there is clear evidence to show that the police is covering up for the actions of its officers which led to the death of the deceased.
“The incident report and the facts before the coroner’s court clearly shows that the Ghana Police service is cleverly covering up for the unlawful and unprofessional conduct of its officers that has led to the death of the deceased,” his law firm, FX & Associates stated in a statement.
The statement by the lawyers of the deceased family is on the back of a police report which said that Shadrach Arloo died from asphyxiation and obstruction of the airway by a foreign body as established through a post-mortem is inconclusive.
According to a police statement issued on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, to update the public on investigations into the death, doctors who conducted forensic examination of his body retrieved 8 bags of narcotics from the throat of the deceased.
“The pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as Asphyxiation and Obstruction of the airway by a foreign body. He also retrieved from the throat of the deceased, eight (8) zipped bags containing dry leaves suspected to be narcotic drugs tied in a piece of black polythene. The retrieved suspected narcotic substances tested positive for cannabis when submitted for forensic examination, in the presence of all the interested parties,” the police statement added.
Reacting to the police report, lawyer Sosu said the verbal cause of death alone is not sufficient and has thus demanded an expansive investigation into the matter.
He noted that the deceased according to evidence was tortured and manhandled by the arresting officers which contribute to or caused his death.
He cautioned that a failure by the police to expand its investigation will see cause certain actions to be taken including a demand for the resignation or dismissal of the Inspector-General of Police.
14 persons have been detained, in connection with minor disturbances during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP ) rerun election at Enchi in the Western North Region, this is , according to the Ghana Police Service.
According to the police, the suspects were arrested on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, because they threatened to mar the elections with violence.
In a statement shared on its Facebook page, the police added that all the arrested persons are in its custody and will soon be put before the court.
“The Police have today, 8th February 2023 arrested 14 persons for threatening to disturb the re-run of some positions in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Constituency Executive Elections at Enchi in the Western North Region,” parts of the statement read.
It added that the suspects “were arrested when they invaded the house of one of the candidates in the election to threaten her and also intimidate others prior to the elections.”
The police stated that the suspects arrested include Kwabena Analdini, Kwasi Fobi, Isaac Oppong, Stephen Kwofie, Isaac Mensah, Kwame Amofah, Acheampong Ernest and Prosper Hato.
The others are Hadi Koder, Aryittey Tettey, Kwasi Mintah, Dominic Akapo, Odoom Botwe and Emmanuel Arhin Owusu.
Gospel musician, Perpetual Didier, has poohpoohed the post-mortem examination results and further communication put out by the Ghana Police Service that stated that the cause of her brother’s death was Asphyxiation and Obstruction of the airway by a foreign body.
The police, in a statement issued on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, and signed by Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Director, Public Affairs, had said due process was followed in the conduct of the post-mortem.
“On 7th February 2023, a post-mortem examination was conducted on the deceased’s body in the presence of Alfred Boafo, father of the accused, Dr Rosana Polinicio Segborwortso Pathologist of GA East Municipal hospital representing the accused, Mr Francis Xavier Sosu lawyer for the deceased, Louis Melabah Edeafor, uncle of the deceased, Isaac Anim Anno, father of the deceased and Anna Cobbina sister of the deceased.
“The pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as Asphyxiation and Obstruction of the airway by a foreign body. He also retrieved from the throat of the deceased, eight (8) zipped bags containing dry leaves suspected to be narcotic drugs tied in a piece of black polythene.
“The retrieved, suspected narcotic substances tested positive for cannabis when submitted for forensic examination, in the presence of all the interested parties,” the statement read.
However, in her interview with JoyNews, Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Perpetual, clad in all-black attire, vehemently rejected the report and accused the police of attempting to conceal the truth and distort the narrative.
“If they’re saying they’ve done investigations, and that he swallowed weed which is wrapped in rubber and they found eight folded weed inside, I want to ask Ghanaians, is weed okro? Can someone swallow weed with ease? Have they given us a footage of the time he swallowed the weed?” a visibly incensed Perpetual retorted.
According to the musician, attempts to get a medical doctor to represent them during the post-mortem, ended up being an exercise in futility as the police hurriedly facilitated the process before the scheduled time.
“When we went to the morgue together with two MPs, they wanted to start the autopsy and I told them that we need a medical doctor so they should give us a chance to find one which of course we got one who is out of Accra. He gave us his colleague who begged us to tell the police to allow him to come today [Wednesday]…” she recounted.
She also noted that the police later went ahead without the said medical doctor to represent the family.
“Because they didn’t wait for our doctor to come inside the room. I will not accept; my family too says they will not accept whatever they are telling us,” she explained, reiterating her initial comment that the police at the West Hills Mall contributed to the death of her brother, amid serious accusations.
“The police did not include how he was brutalized in their statement; that means they have swept away everything. They’re indicating that it is only the weed that caused his death. It could be that when they took the body to the police morgue, somebody planted the weed inside his throat so that our lawyer [who was with them during the autopsy process] will say he saw weed. They should provide how he was swallowing it,” said Perpetual.
Background
Gospel musician, Perpetual Didier alleged in a viral video that her brother was killed by some police officers.
According to her, the incident happened at the West Hills Mall in Accra on January 30, 2022.
The musician explained that her brother, was brutally assaulted by the uniformed policemen, leading to his untimely death.
NEWS RELEASE:
UPDATE ON POLICE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF SHADRACH ARLOO AT THE WEST HILLS MALL pic.twitter.com/zRRyLviHsg
“Someone should tag the IGP. I need justice for my brother. Tell him that this is a crime one of his men has done to my family by killing my brother. We are all Ghanaians with equal rights and freedom. Why will you use your position to take someone’s life?” she said in her Facebook Live video, amidst tears.
How the incident came about
In her narration, her brother (the deceased) had gone to the West Hills Mall to withdraw money in order to purchase some items intended to be sent to his sister in Germany.
She added that, from what an eyewitness told her, the police demanded that her brother hand over his bag to be searched, but he refused.
This then led to the police officer getting agitated and then hitting and pushing him to the ground.
Perpetual added that her brother fell to the ground and hit his head on the floor, breaking his neck in the process.
He is said to have lost consciousness, at which time the police officer tased the motionless man on the floor.
It is believed that this worsened the state the young man was already in, leading to his death.
Perpetual Didier, a gospel singer, has disparaged the findings of the post-mortem examination and subsequent statements made by the Ghana Police Service, which claimed that her brother’s death was due to asphyxiation and obstruction of the airway by a foreign body.
The police, in a statement issued on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, and signed by Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Director, Public Affairs, had said due process was followed in the conduct of the post-mortem.
“On 7th February 2023, a post-mortem examination was conducted on the deceased’s body in the presence of Alfred Boafo, father of the accused, Dr Rosana Polinicio Segborwortso Pathologist of GA East Municipal hospital representing the accused, Mr Francis Xavier Sosu lawyer for the deceased, Louis Melabah Edeafor, uncle of the deceased, Isaac Anim Anno, father of the deceased and Anna Cobbina sister of the deceased.
“The pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as Asphyxiation and Obstruction of the airway by a foreign body. He also retrieved from the throat of the deceased, eight (8) zipped bags containing dry leaves suspected to be narcotic drugs tied in a piece of black polythene.
“The retrieved, suspected narcotic substances tested positive for cannabis when submitted for forensic examination, in the presence of all the interested parties,” the statement read.
However, in her interview with JoyNews, Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Perpetual, clad in all-black attire, vehemently rejected the report and accused the police of attempting to conceal the truth and distort the narrative.
“If they’re saying they’ve done investigations, and that he swallowed weed which is wrapped in rubber and they found eight folded weed inside, I want to ask Ghanaians, is weed okro? Can someone swallow weed with ease? Have they given us a footage of the time he swallowed the weed?” a visibly incensed Perpetual retorted.
According to the musician, attempts to get a medical doctor to represent them during the post-mortem, ended up being an exercise in futility as the police hurriedly facilitated the process before the scheduled time.
“When we went to the morgue together with two MPs, they wanted to start the autopsy and I told them that we need a medical doctor so they should give us a chance to find one which of course we got one who is out of Accra. He gave us his colleague who begged us to tell the police to allow him to come today [Wednesday]…” she recounted.
She also noted that the police later went ahead without the said medical doctor to represent the family.
“Because they didn’t wait for our doctor to come inside the room. I will not accept; my family too says they will not accept whatever they are telling us,” she explained, reiterating her initial comment that the police at the West Hills Mall contributed to the death of her brother, amid serious accusations.
“The police did not include how he was brutalized in their statement; that means they have swept away everything. They’re indicating that it is only the weed that caused his death. It could be that when they took the body to the police morgue, somebody planted the weed inside his throat so that our lawyer [who was with them during the autopsy process] will say he saw weed. They should provide how he was swallowing it,” said Perpetual.
Background
Gospel musician, Perpetual Didier alleged in a viral video that her brother was killed by some police officers.
According to her, the incident happened at the West Hills Mall in Accra on January 30, 2022.
The musician explained that her brother, was brutally assaulted by the uniformed policemen, leading to his untimely death.
“Someone should tag the IGP. I need justice for my brother. Tell him that this is a crime one of his men has done to my family by killing my brother. We are all Ghanaians with equal rights and freedom. Why will you use your position to take someone’s life?” she said in her Facebook Live video, amidst tears.
How the incident came about
In her narration, her brother (the deceased) had gone to the West Hills Mall to withdraw money in order to purchase some items intended to be sent to his sister in Germany.
She added that, from what an eyewitness told her, the police demanded that her brother hand over his bag to be searched, but he refused.
This then led to the police officer getting agitated and then hitting and pushing him to the ground.
Perpetual added that her brother fell to the ground and hit his head on the floor, breaking his neck in the process.
He is said to have lost consciousness, at which time the police officer tased the motionless man on the floor.
It is believed that this worsened the state the young man was already in, leading to his death.
About 12 people have been detained by the Ghana Police Service on suspicion of being part of a syndicate that is to blame for several crimes throughout the nation.
According to the police, the suspects were arrested between July 2022 and January 2023 as a result of a sustained operation.
“The Police have arrested twelve people who are members of an organised crime syndicate involved in a series of carjacking, robbery and murder incidents across three regions of the country.
“The arrests follow a sustained, intelligence-led operation by a special police team which mounted surveillance on the activities of the gang between July 2022 and January 2023 in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern Regions.
A police statement dated February 1 listed the names of the suspects as Prince Opuni, Kwabena Kyei Barfour, Jeffrey Dwomoh alias Jeff, Clifford Opoku alias Spider, Samuel Adom, William Ansah, Bernard Adu Gyamfi, Anthony Tawiah alias Wizzy, Andrew Kwame Owusu, Musah Sulley, Yaw Acheampong, Charles Lotherford.
The gang according to the police operated with guns with which they attacked their victims, took over their cars and then sell off the cars to others.
“Investigations into the activities of the syndicate revealed that suspect, Jeffry Dwomoh, shot and killed one of his victims, during one of the carjacking expeditions at Brofoyedru near Ahenema Kokoben,” the police statement said.
The police added that it recovered ten (10) vehicles believed to have been snatched by the gang from their victims as well as several weapons and ammunitions, and a cash amount of GHC10,010.00 from the suspects during the operation.
The police added that it is currently in the process of arresting one more suspect who is believed to facilitate double vehicle documentation for the gang.
“Police are in touch with most of the victims who are assisting the investigation and efforts are underway to contact the remaining victims,” the statement added.
The Managing Editor of The Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has described as reckless the removal of the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu by the leadership of the National Democratic Congress.
He said the NDC has created room for speculation amongst the party’s political opponents.
“This is a reckless move, absolutely reckless move. So what have you achieved? You have created conditions for all manner of speculations. I was listening to some of my friends in the NPP discuss this matter, come and see, it’s like they have won a bonanza.
“One of them actually went to the extent of saying John Mahama directed this move because he has a rift with Haruna, he wants to show Haruna some sense. This is not true, John Mahama was not comfortable with this move,” Mr. Pratt said on the Alhaji and Alhaji show on Radio Gold.
He described the popularity of the MP for Tamale South as legendary adding that his removal will affect the fortunes of the party up north.
“His popularity is legendary and anytime he has been touched, there have been repercussions. He is not God, he is not all-knowing, he is not omnipotent, he is not omnipresent, he can be removed. But if you want to remove him there are things that you have to do knowing the political circumstances. Were those things done?” the Editor of the Insight Newspaper asked.
According to him, though the outgoing Minority Leader has his shortcomings, he is the primus inter pares in the Northern region.
“Haruna Iddrisu may have all his faults, but he is the primus inter pares [first amongst equals] in the Northern Region. I have been to Tamale on many occasions, I went to school in Tamale, and I know Tamale fairly well. This is a man who comes to Tamale and he doesn’t drive a car. I have seen him riding just an ordinary bicycle moving from place to place holding caucuses in the streets, and playing cards with members. I have seen him on a motorbike going to funerals and so on,” Mr. Pratt noted.
There have been some disagreements amongst the Minority caucus after the party replaced Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu with Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle also replaced Ketu North MP, James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader while Kwame Governs Agbodza replaced Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak as the Minority Chief Whip.
Some MPs signed a petition to reject the decision of the party over lack of consultation. Another set of MPs also petitioned the leadership of the NDC to ignore calls for the reshuffling to be reversed.
The Council of Elders of the NDC subsequently called on both sides to cease fire.
Legendary highlife artiste, Kojo Antwi has paid a courtesy call to the headquarters of the Ghana Police Service. The purpose of his visit was to pay a courtesy call on the Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare.
Kojo Antwi was greeted by a sea of uniformed officers as he entered the building and they were all eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary musician. Accompanied by his management team, he made his way to the IGP’s office, where he was warmly received.
The meeting was a cordial one, with both Kojo Antwi and the IGP exchanging pleasantries and discussing a range of topics, including the role of music in promoting peace and unity in Ghana.
Kojo Antwi also expressed his appreciation for the hard work of the Ghana police in keeping the country safe, and the IGP in turn praised the musician for his contributions to the cultural fabric of Ghana and the entertainment industry.
Kojo Antwi was given a tour of the facility including the training camp and was given a brief lecture on how the Ghana police intend to work with musicians and the entertainment industry.
See the photos below:
Netizens react to photos from Kojo Antwi’s visit
Hope Love commented
Is a year of visiting the Police. So since everyone is visiting, let me also visit my local Police station and just say hi to the commanding officer here. He is a good man. Yes Sir, I salute..
Agyei Williams commented;
Lumba infact you’re legend
Comey Hughes:
Yes to the IGP…. showing sensitivity and humility!!!!
Abdul Majeed Musah Ali commented
Legends will be always be legends
Abdulae Fuseini commented
Am not sure Ghana police personnel learnt from this man. From what am seeing from him, l will say he’s a humble man. And Ghana police personnel should emulate his behaviors.
The Ghana Police Service has started an inquiry into an alleged incident at the West Hills Mall that resulted in Shadrach Arloo’s death, a 32-year-old man.
In a press release dated January 31, 2023, the Police administration said its officials had contacted a relative of the deceased, Perpetual Didier, who first made the allegation in a viral audio.
“The attention of the Police Service has been drawn to a viral video in which a female who identifies herself as Perpetual Didier alleges that the action of a Police Officer has caused the death of her brother.
“The Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) has commenced investigation into the allegation and has contacted Madam Perpetual Didier to assist the investigation,” Assist. Superintendent of Police, Victor K Dosso assured in the press release.
Legendary Highlife musician Daddy Lumba is making an effort to improve his relationship and view of the Ghana Police Service.
The singer, born Charles Kojo Ofosu, in making this effort paid a courtesy call on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
The visit took place on Wednesday, January 25.
This was Daddy Lumba’s first to the police headquarters since the appointment of Dr Dampare as IGP.
Daddy Lumba in a short interaction with the Police chief said the visit was to foster closer relations with the police service.
Nana Obiri Boahen, a legal practitioner assisting persons affected in the Apiate explosion disaster to battle their case in court has expressed worry over the delay of the Ghana Police Service to provide accident reports for the victims.
He stated: “Honestly speaking, l have not enjoyed the cooperation of the Police. l must be candid about it; so, l have written a letter to the Regional Police Command.
“So far, l have received the accident report of Kwasi Owusu and filed the writ at Tarkwa court,” the legal practitioner added.
Nana Obiri Boahen disclosed this to journalists at Apiate, when the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly and the Apiate Disaster Relief Committee organised the first memorial service for the 16 persons who perished in the explosion last year.
He said his office has received about 60 to 70 names, but the accident reports would direct him to know the level and extent of injury, level of incapacitation, whom to sue and who should be vicariously liable.
“The availability of the accident report would facilitate the process but at least l can rely on Mr Owusu’s report and proceed with the case should the Police refuse to cooperate,” Nana Obiri Boahen said.
He added: “It’s rather unfortunate that after my first visit to Apiate community, l learnt some victims were informed to look at it from the political perspective and it beats my understanding.
“A lawyer is prepared to assist a victim, and somebody advised them it’s about politics. What has this got to do with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)?
“Let’s refrain from this attitude.”
Nana Obiri Boahen commended the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Huni-Valley, Dr Isaac Dasmani and Appiatse Disaster Relief Committee for their continuous support.
In response, the Divisional Police Command of Tarkwa, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) George Andrew Kuma, dismissed claims that the Police have delayed the accident report of the victims.
He said officers of the Police Service have worked tirelessly since the incident happened on January 20, 2022, and had come out with Mr Owusu’s accident report earlier because he came to write his statement alone, but the others presented theirs as a group.
ACP Kuma, however, indicated that they would meet the MCE and set up a desk at the Apiate Relief Camp to enable all the victims to come over and write their statements to help to process the accident reports for them.
The campaign, dubbed “No to Fake Meters”, is in collaboration with the Ghana Police service, and follows a pilot programme undertaken at Adeiso and surrounding areas in November, 2022.
The purpose of the ‘No to fake meters’ campaign, according to the Company, is to identify and arrest the syndicates behind the distribution of such meters, and to stop the bleeding of the company’s revenue.
Speaking to the media, the Regional Revenue Protection Manager, and team-lead of the campaign, Dr. Mark Owusu-Ansah described the fake meters as “toys”. “These fake meters are only heavy empty cases that look authentic at a glance”, he said.
Communities identified for the exercise include Daman, Sakyikrom, Amoakrom, Duadekye, Ntoaso, Daaman, Akuamu, Nkyenkyen and Amanfrom.
Last year, the Accra West region recovered GH¢10,363,755 from 1,900 customers who were apprehended for engaging in various forms of illegal connections.
These customers were surcharged for the power they used and some were also tried in court for stealing power.
Dr Owusu-Ansah revealed that this year, about 20,000 customer accounts will be remotely monitored to identify prepaid customers who do not purchase credits. These customers will then be visited for a physical assessment of their meters.
The Accra West Regional General Manager of ECG, Ing. Ebenezer Ghunney warned customers to desist from using power without paying for it.
He noted that the Company continues to invest heavily in the power distribution network and charged customers to abstain from stealing power, saying, this deprives the company of revenue and affects the quality of power supply.
The Accra West region has eight operational districts. These are Ablekuma, Achimota, Amasaman, Bortianor, Dansoman, Kaneshie, Korlebu and Nsawam.
Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service, announced that the Service is now setting up specific teams to deal with Internet fraud. He claimed that crooks in e-commerce and impersonators on social media platforms will no longer have a field day.
“There are several levels to it; there is a policing component, there is also the individual persons’ security component, and also the community component. From the policing side, we have taken some pragmatic steps in recent times and started setting up a team to holistically look at some of these things.
The IGP said this when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament to answer questions in relation to the 2020 Auditor-General Report on the Interior Ministry, under which the Police Service falls.
His comments were in response to a question from a member of the PAC and MP for Buem Constituency, Kofi Adams.
The MP, expressing worry about rising numbers in Internet-related fraud – particularly people impersonating MPs on social media, said: “There is this continuous increase in scams of various forms, especially people impersonating MPs. These persons operate with mobile phone numbers that unsuspecting victims call on and make payments, and these criminals go and cash-out these monies. So, it is possible for them to be traced and arrested. We do not hear much of some of these things. What is the Police Service doing to help us deal with this canker?”
In his response, Dr. Dampare said: “For the first time in the history of this country, you are going to hear a whole bunch of things about people who have been duped across the Internet space and how we are dealing with them.
“There are couple of instances where people have been swindled through e-commerce market platforms; and as we speak, about 18 people have been identified – and out of the 18, seven have been arrested.
“What we have to do going forward,” he added, “is to pick on all the other cases we have and see what we can do to make sure that, at the end of the day, we send the strongest signal to these people.”
Although he acknowledged the recent SIM card registration will go a long way to help police administration deal with the situation, he added that the country’s inadequate addressing system poses a challenge with regard to how quickly police can swoop on suspects.
“The challenge used to be the case when we had an environment where people could just walk into any service provider and get a number registered. Fortunately with the registration exercise, for all numbers which are unregistered there is difficulty for those people to continue.
“This has helped us in terms of defining the space and how easily you can access these people and have them arrested; but the tail-end of it is also our addressing systems and how to even locate the house of a person you been been able to identify. For instance, in other jurisdictions you always know where somebody lives; and instantly all you have to do is just know the address, know the contact number and walk to the house and pick up the person. And if we have that environment, we can assure that we the police – and by extension other security agencies -will make this country zero-crime rated,” he further explained.
The IGP went on by cautioning the general public to be more security-conscious in their dealings. He also urged communities to cooperate with the police to fight these social vices. “The final bit is to do with our personal security – our own individual security and the security that comes from the way we handle our personal selves, the way we communicate even on the phone.”
Eight girls trafficked to Ghana to be sex workers have been rescued, with seven of them repatriated to Nigeria by the Ghana Police Service and the Cape Coast office of the Social Welfare Department.
The young girls, aged between 15 and 22, were trafficked into the country under the pretext of securing them white collar jobs to enable them to improve their standard of living.
Two of the girls were rescued at Diaso, the Upper Denkyira West District capital, three at Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality, and three at Assin Awisen in the Assin South Municipality of the Central Region.
However, a 22-year-old lady among them was later freed by the Department when the caretaker of the Social Welfare Shelter reported that she was causing problems at the home.
Mr Alexander Ofosu Yeboah, the Unit Head in-charge of the Children Residential Home of the Department, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said human trafficking cases were mostly high during vacations.
The rescued girls were repatriated through the International Organisation for Migration after identifying their families in Nigeria.
He said the perpetrators deceived the victims, who were secondary school girls, of providing basic needs and giving them jobs that could change their lives and make them comfortable.
According to Mr Yeboah, the rescue mission was possible based on intelligence gathered by the police and the victims reporting the incident to them after realising they had been deceived.
The Department provided shelter for them throughout their stay in the country until they were identified and sent back to their country.
The perpetrators, all Nigerians, are on the run except one female who was arrested and sentenced to five years imprisonment in hard labour, Mr Yeboah said.
The menace was rife in mining, farming, and fishing areas of the region where many trafficked girls were sent to engage in sexual activities for their masters, he said.
Mr Yeboah said human trafficking was the inhuman practice that negatively affected the future of its victims and needed collective efforts to reduce to its barest minimum.
Laws governing human trafficking must be strictly enforced to scare perpetrators from involving in the act, he noted.
On challenges confronting the Department, Mr Yeboah said, sadly perpetrators of trafficking were mostly freed or released due to the 48- hour clause in police cells.
He said since most of the perpetrators were foreigners, granting bail was not guaranteed because they had no relative or family member in the country to stand in for them.
He, therefore, appealed to the Government to either extend the 48 hours period for trafficking perpetrators or enact a law to process them for court right after arrest.
Patrick Asiedu, the man behind a viral audio alleging some police officers planted ‘wee’ and cocaine in his car has been arrested.
According to the police, the arrest was carried on Thursday, January 18, 2023, after investigations proved that the allegations in the said audio were mere fabrications and not the truth.
Also, the police through their investigations established Patrick is an Uber driver and not a medical doctor as he claimed in the audio.
“The police, today, 18th January 2023 have arrested a man suspected to be the person in the audio tape describing an alleged elaborate incident of criminal behaviour on the part of the police.
“In the audio tape that has been widely circulated, the man who introduced himself as Dr Patrick Asiedu claimed that he had been stopped by some police officers who planted substances suspected to be narcotics in his car and attempted to extort money from him.
“The police investigation so far has established that the man who has been arrested and is in police custody, is indeed called Patrick Aseidu, he is an Uber driver and not a doctor,” potions of the police statement read.
The police also revealed that Patrick confessed that ” he had once witnessed a similar incident happen to one of his passengers” and that was the motivation for the audio.
Police arrest ‘fake doctor’ who accused some officers of planting ‘wee’, cocaine in his car
The statement added that the supposed military intervention and the alleged fight between the police officers and the military described in the said audio are false.
An audio recording from one Dr Patrick Asiedu accusing some police officers of planting substances suspected to be narcotics in his vehicle has surfaced on social media.
Dr Asiedu reported that the incident occurred last week Friday while on the Trasacco road while on his way home to Kwashieman.
“I met these policemen on the road and they asked me to pull over. I did and when they came, they asked that I get down from the car to search me. I was not comfortable with it but because I felt they were doing their work, I got down.
They searched the car. In a few seconds, one of the policemen called me and told me he could see I had my tag and I am a doctor. If that is the case then do we have any problem with you but what is this weed doing in your car. I was like ‘what do you mean?’ He said look under your seat. What is this weed and cocaine doing over there? I was like cocaine and weed in my car?”
He allegedly told them “I have no idea what they are doing in my car,” but according to Dr Asiedu, the police officers insisted the substances were his.
In his narration, the health professional further claimed that the police requested a bribe of GHS20,000 to avoid being sent to the police station and the Narcotics Control Commission.
“You can spend 15 years in jail so pay GHS20,000,” he claimed the police said while being directed to hold the suspected narcotics.
Dr Patrick Asiedu said he phoned his brother at the Ghana Armed Forces who arrived at the scene with a number of military men.
Per the audio, the parties involved proceeded to the police station and were later directed to head to the Narcotics Control Commission, but they were called by one Commander to engage at a location Dr Asiedu failed to mention.
After their meeting hitting a snug, Dr Asiedu said he headed to the Narcotics Control Commission where his fingerprint was scanned.
“When they checked my fingerprint, they didn’t find any trace and my brother told the police to tell the truth,” he said.
“One of the officers, who is a Muslim swore that he could never plant drugs in a car. Then another officer started crying, saying that we are very sorry. We planted it in his car,” Dr Asiedu added.
Dr Asiedu further alleged that one Commander offered money to bury the issue, but was slapped by his brother, an action that led to a fisticuff.
The said police officers, he said, were arrested by the military officers who arrived with his brother, and were sent to the East Legon Police Station but later transferred to the Accra Central Police Station.
The audio has garnered massive reactions on social media platforms. While some Ghanaians have corroborated the claims made by Dr Asiedu by sharing their own experiences, others have questioned the validity of his claims.
In a press statement on January 18, addressing the allegation, the Ghana Police Service announced that it has launched investigations into the matter.
The Service noted its initial checks provided information contrary to the claims made by Dr Asiedu. The Police stated that it found no complaint at the East Legon and the Accra Central Police Stations mentioned in the audio.
Also, the Police said it contacted the Narcotics Control Commission and the Ghana Armed Forces and both institutions have indicated that “no such incident has come to their attention.”
However, the Service has assured that it will get to the bottom of the alleged incident as it “does not condone any unprofessional conduct in its quest to become an institution worthy of respect and trust in the country.”
The Lands Commissions has served notice to the public that it will from January 17th, 2023 begin a process to recover encroached state lands at Amrahia, Mpehuasem and Nungua (Borteyman) in the Greater Accra Region.
In a statement signed by its executive secretary and issued on Monday, January 16, 2023, the Lands Commission disclosed that it will embark on a demolition exercise in those areas with the aim of recovering all state lands which have been acquired illegally by persons or groups in the aforementioned areas.
According to the statement, the demolition exercise which will be done in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service is in line with section 236 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036),
The commission announced that it is taking this step following reports of “contestation encroachments on state lands within Amrahia, Mpehuasem and Nungua.”
Read the full statement below
PRESS RELEASE
16TH JANUARY,2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALL MEDIA HOUSES
DEMOLITION EXERCISE AT AMRAHIA, MPEHUASEM AND NUNGUA (BORTEYMAN), STATE ENCROACHED LANDS.
The Government of Ghana, through the Lands Commission administers all state –acquired and vested lands in the country.
The Lands Commission has received a number of reports with great contestation, of encroachments on state lands within Amrahia, Mpehuasem and Nungua (Borteyman) in Accra by unknown armed men. The illegality started during the festive season in December,2022 and continues to occur. These parcels under threat are parts of Government acquisitions with compensations paid;
1. State Lands (Kweiman-Amrahia – Site for Modern Diary Farm) Instrument, 1970 (E.I.47) with approximate area of 1,381.995 acres.
2. State Lands – (Accra-Mpehuasem – Site for Accra Training College) Instrument, 2009 (E. I. 16) with approximate area of 111.25 acres.
3. State Lands – (Accra-Nungua – Site for Site for Livestock Farm) Instrument, 1940 (Certificate of Title 214/40) with approximate area of 2,570.05 acres. In all the acquisitions above, on the goodwill of Government, some portions of the sites have been released to the pre-acquisition owners.
Following a reconnaissance inspection of sites in Borteyman, Amanhria and Mphehuasem, the joint team of Lands Administrators and Police Officers agreed on the urgency of a more extensive exercise to recover and protect all the encroached portions including demolishing of unauthorised structures.
The Commission with the assistance of the Ghana Police Service officially starts the exercise on 17th January, 2023 to recover and protect such sites and other state-acquired areas; per section 236 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036),
It is expected the public would offer maximum support to the Commisssion as it undertakes this mandate.
The head of the Huahi Royal Family of Boadi in the Ashanti Region has filed a suit against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over his unlawful arrest by officers of the Ghana Police Service.
According to him, before his release, he was humiliated, subjected to torture and embarrassed at a palace instead of being processed for court.
“In my case, following my arrest on 18th November, 2021, the police failed, neglected or refused to caution or charge me for any offence but rather subjected me to torture, physical assault and humiliation on my personality and dignity.
“That I am advised by counsel and I respectfully concur with the advice that the police has no right, power or authority to arrest, restrict or detain a suspect without officially cautioning or charging him, and that any such arrest, restriction or detention contrary to the rules and procedures enshrined in the Constitution amounts to flagrant disregard for the Constitution and a breach of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the suspect,” the plaintiff stated in his application.
It is the case of the plaintiff that by this act, the police officers violated his right to personal liberty, human dignity, right against unlawful arrest, detention or restriction and torture, as well as right to administrative fairness.
The plaintiff added that despite a petition to the Police Service to interrogate the matter, no concrete solutions had been reached, hence the suit.
Reliefs
Badu is asking the court to declare as unconstitutional his arrest, adding that the police violated his fundamental human rights guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution. As part of his reliefs, he asks for the following:
“An order directed at the respondents to pay me an amount of GH¢500,000 as compensation for my unlawful arrest and restriction pursuant to Article 14(5) of the 1992 Constitution.”
“An order directed at the respondents to compensate the applicant for the inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time and violation of his fundamental human rights to dignity and administrative justice to a tune of GHC500,000.”
He is also asking for an order perpetually restraining the respondents, particularly all police officers involved in the misconduct under the authority of the respondent, from unlawfully arresting, restricting and/or detaining him ever again.
Road accidents recorded between 2021 and 2022 have declined by 7.55%, according to the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
According to the statistics published by the MTTD, there were 16,182 total number of accidents in 2021 and 14,960 accidents in 2022. Death by accident has also reduced by 20.10%.
The Greater Accra region recorded the highest number of accidents, summing to 5,633 and 370 number of deaths. The Ashanti Region recorded the second highest with 3,372 total cases of accidents and 382 number of deaths.
The Region with the least number of cases is Central Region. The region recorded 656 total number of accidents and 111 deaths as a result of accidents.
In an interview with Joy News, the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osafo Adonteng commended Ghanaians and all stakeholders including the Ghana Police Service, DVLA, and media houses for their support in making this achievement.
The director-general of the authority also noted that accidents caused by motorcycles were one of the major concerns.
“We have seen the number of motorcycles involved in crashes reduce. Hitherto, that was one of the most critical problems and challenges we were facing; how to hold these motorcycle riders, some of them as you call them ‘okada’ and so on.”
The director-general also stated that it is possible to see less than 1,000 number of deaths by putting in more effort through education, enforcement, and advocacy.
“If we put in more effort, we can make it. Assuming this year, we are able to step up our game; education, enforcement, advocacy, and the rest. And then we are able to do more to reduce by 30% again, that means that we are hitting less than 2,000 and then we keep on moving. Gradually, at one point in time in the near future, we may see deaths less than a thousand.”
David Osafo Adonteng concluded by saying that, if the requisite resources and efforts are provided, the target will be met in a short time.
Thousands of Ghanaians have reportedly fallen prey to a travel scam and have been left stranded in Nigeria and Cameroun.
According to a video report on Akoma FM’s Facebook page, the stranded Ghanaians were promised employment opportunities and visas to travel abroad in a scam which involved persons from both Ghana and Nigeria.
The report added that some of the scammers were arrested on Friday, January 6, 2022, by the Ghana Police Service in Ejisu, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
One of the victims of the scam, a man, who spoke to Akoma FM, said that he was promised employment opportunities and a visa to travel abroad only to be left stranded in an uncompleted building in Nigeria.
He said that he went to Lagos, Nigeria to meet the travel agents who were supposed to facilitate his travel after paying them with the help of his friend in France.
“I am one of the victims who was stranded in Nigeria. I met the agent in Lagos who took me to a hotel where I spent 3 days.
“The agent told me that I was supposed to have an interview and after the 3 days, he took me to a building in Lagos where I was to have the interview. At the office, I met some Ghanaians who presented themselves as security officers which gave me some confidence,” he said in Twi.
The victim, however, added that in the course of the interview, he realised that he had been scammed when the interviewer started asking him unnecessary questions.
The news report also showed when the police arrested at least six men in Ejisu who are alleged to be involved in the rip-off and a building in Nigeria where some of the victims of the scam were being kept.
Police intelligence operation on 5th January 2023, led to the arrest of four suspects for the unlawful possession of over 104 bags of substances suspected to be narcotics at Lolonya near Sege in the Greater Accra Region.
The four suspects, Ntow Prince, Felix Owusu, Jery Quartey and Daitey Mashack were arrested while discharging sacks of the compressed plant materials into a boat at the seaside at Sege.
During the arrest, suspect Daitey Mashack who is the Assemblyman of the area attempted to bribe the arresting officers with an amount of GH₵ 20,000.00.
The loaded truck with the substances has been impounded at the Tema Regional Police Headquarters together with the attempted bribe money.
The four suspects were subsequently put before the Ashaiman Circuit Court on Friday, 6th January 2023, where they have been remanded into Police custody to re-appear on 23rd January 2023.
Meanwhile, the Police administration has thanked the Police team for their dedication and service to the country.
The K9 unit of the Ghana Police Service has deployed some personnel with K9 dogs to ensure security and safety of commuters ahead of the New Year season.
The police in a Facebook post said the operation is, “part of our grand security strategy for this festive season and beyond, as we work toward ensuring the safety of all”.
Four personnel of the Ghana Police Service in the Bono Region have been accused of brutalising an assistant environmental health analyst at Sene West District Assembly in the Bono Region after he allegedly refused to pay a GH¢5 bribe.
According to a Peace FM report, the police officers, who are stationed at Kwame Danso a suburb of the Sene West, asked the victim; James Combat, to pay GH¢5 for committing a road traffic offence.
The report indicated that Combat refused to pay the money which led to the police beating him up mercilessly.
Narrating his ordeal in a Peace FM interview, the assistant environmental health analyst said that the police stopped him on his way to his farm for riding his motorcycle without a helmet.
He said that he explained to the police that he had only one helmet which he gave to his daughter, who was on the motor with him, but the police insisted that he pays the GH¢5.
“I told Peter (one of the policemen) that I had no money on me because I was on my way to my farm. Then Doe and Akomea (two senior policemen) instructed him (Peter) to remove my motor key if I am not willing to pay the GHC5,” he said in Twi.
Combat said that he took his motor key and refused to give it to the policemen which led to the beatings.
“My daughter was on the floor weeping as they were beating me up mercilessly. They forced me into their vehicle took me to the police station and they kept me in cells from 8:00 am to around noon,” he said
The victim also added that he was only released after some officers of the Sene West District Assembly and his family raised an amount of GH¢700 to pay the police.
Four personnel of the Ghana Police Service in the Bono Region have been accused of brutalising an assistant environmental health analyst at Sene West District Assembly in the Bono Region after he allegedly refused to pay a GH¢5 bribe.
According to a Peace FM report, the police officers, who are stationed at Kwame Danso a suburb of the Sene West, asked the victim; James Combat, to pay GH¢5 for committing a road traffic offence.
The report indicated that Combat refused to pay the money which led to the police beating him up mercilessly.
Narrating his ordeal in a Peace FM interview, the assistant environmental health analyst said that the police stopped him on his way to his farm for riding his motorcycle without a helmet.
He said that he explained to the police that he had only one helmet which he gave to his daughter, who was on the motor with him, but the police insisted that he pays the GH¢5.
“I told Peter (one of the policemen) that I had no money on me because I was on my way to my farm. Then Doe and Akomea (two senior policemen) instructed him (Peter) to remove my motor key if I am not willing to pay the GHC5,” he said in Twi.
Combat said that he took his motor key and refused to give it to the policemen which led to the beatings.
“My daughter was on the floor weeping as they were beating me up mercilessly. They forced me into their vehicle took me to the police station and they kept me in cells from 8:00 am to around noon,” he said
The victim also added that he was only released after some officers of the Sene West District Assembly and his family raised an amount of GH¢700 to pay the police.
Some officers of the Ghana Police Service have been deployed with their K9 dogs to ensure the security strategy for the festive season and beyond.
In a statement, the Police said this initiative is to ensure safety for all across the country.
“The K9 Unit of the Ghana Police Service has deployed its officers with their K9 dogs to ensure the security and safety of commuters on our roads, as part of our grand security strategy for this festive season and beyond, as we work toward ensuring the safety of all.”
K9, is a term used to describe canines or dogs assigned to the police unit.
K9’s are trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers to among other things, search for drugs and explosives, locate missing people, find crime scene evidence, protect people, and sometimes to attack criminals who are fleeing from or attacking police officers.
The founder and leader of the Prophetic Hill Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie has indicated the readiness of him and other prophets to call the bluff of the Ghana Police Service over the communication of prophecies.
Prophet Nigel Gaisie argued in an interview on Power FM that prophets are the mouthpieces of God and that controlling them is akin to putting a check on God which is not possible.
He insisted that God has so far given him 47 prophecies to communicate to Ghanaians on 31st December watch night.
Nigel Gaisie says that the number is likely to increase as he continues to prepare for what he believes will be a mega service.
“We are not scared of the prophecies because we speak the mind of God not humans. Already God has revealed 47 things to me and there could be more. Before midnight Saturday, we could get more.
“God has revealed a lot of things to me and I’m not alone. Other prophets have also received prophecies. We are ready to speak the minds of God so Ghana police should avert their minds to the serious in the country and leave the prophets and church to do the work of God.
“If the spirit of God is in you, you say it as it is, you don’t get scared. There will be prophecies on Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and England. We have prophecies on IGP. Prophecy number 14 is about the IGP. I’ve seen something about him so I will say it. I’m surprised he is acting that way because he is Pentecostal,” he said.
Prophet Nigel Gaisie also offered his view on how ‘fake’ prophets can be distinguished from genuine ones.
He mentioned that the accuracy of prophecies and the boldness of the prophets are some of the ways Prophets could be determined in the country.
“The best way to differentiate between fake and real prophets is whether their prophecies manifest. No prophet has a 100% record on prophecies. It can never be 100% because we pray against some of things and we also sometimes see things halfway. The sign of boldness is also another factor,” he said.
The Ghana Police Service has interdicted two of its officers for unprofessional conduct.
The officers PW/Inspr Martha Ackah and No. 6233 PW/Sergeant Felicia Ocran of Asokwa Divisional MTTD, Kumasi were captured in a video extorting money from a driver.
In the 28-second video making rounds on social media, the two officers were seen interacting with a driver who, unbeknownst to them, recorded their engagement.
One of the officers threatened to send the driver to the Asokwa Police station if he refused to accede to their request. The driver subsequently handed over some money.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service in a statement, signed by the Public Affairs Officer, ASP Godwin Ahianyo, noted that they would initiate a thorough investigation into the case.
They added that disciplinary action will be taken after the investigations.
“We would like to urge the affected victims to come forward and support Police investigation to enable us take the officers through the due process of the law as we seek to ensure that our officers uphold the highest form of professional standards,” they stated.
Ahead of the 31st December watch night celebrations, the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has issued a warning against illegal communications of prophecies.
The service in a statement entreated the general public, especially prophets and pastors, to be measured in delivering their prophecies.
“A year ago today, December 27, 2021, the Ghana Police Service drew the attention of the general public, especially members of the religious community to the law regarding the communication of prophecies and urged compliance to the law to ensure continuous security and law and order in the country.
“We wish to commend the public, particularly religious groups, for their cooperation over the period by being circumspect and conscious of the law and adopting legally acceptable means of communicating prophecies to those affected,” the statement.
It has become a trend in the country that on the last day of the year (i.e 31st December), pastors and prophets issue prophesies with regards to events that will happen in the coming year. Most of these proclamations are doom prophecies that create fear and panic, especially for those targeted at.
However, last year the Ghana Police Service cautioned churches to be mindful of such activities since they can attract sanctions including a prison term of up to five years.
The Police service has indicated that the caution “has contributed greatly in creating an environment where people are able to freely profess their faith without unnecessary anxiety and fear of impending harm or death.”
GPS, thus, commended religious leaders for complying with the directive.
“Ghana is indeed grateful to the religious leaders in particular and the religious community as a whole for their patriotic understanding of the situation.
“As the year 2022 draws to a close, we wish to once again entreat the general public, especially faith-based groups to ensure continuous compliance with the law as it relates to the communication of prophecies.
“Let us continue to remember that whereas we have the right to practise our faith in religion, freedom of worship and speech, this right must not be exercised in violation of the rights of others and the public interest,” the statement signed by the Director of Police Public Affairs at the service, Grace Ansah Akrofi, said.
The statement added that “as part of sustaining the gains made so far, the Police Service has adopted 27th December of each year as the Prophecy Communication Compliance Day. This day is being set aside to remind all of us, to practise our faith within the confines of the law to ensure a safe, secure environment, free of anxiety generated from predictions of impending harm, danger, or death.
“We wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.”
Every year, Ghanaians anticipate December 31 watch night services held across churches. This is because it is known as the day some renowned prophets release tall lists of prophecies for the new year.
Many Ghanaians are always eager to hear what these prophets will predict for the coming year.
2022 was a bit different because the Ghana Police Service cautioned the Christian Council that prophets who caused fear and panic with their prophecies would be arrested. This reduced the number of revelations these men of God dished out to the public.
Despite all the cautioning, in 2022, three popular prophets, Bishop Salifu Amoako, Rev Owusu Bempah, and Prophet Nigel Gaisie topped the trends with their prophecies.
As 2022 comes to an end, GhanaWeb takes a look at the prophecies by some of these prophecies that dominated headlines.
Nigel Gaisie drops prophecies about ‘Umuofia’ with details from Ghana
Prophet Nigel adopted a strategy to deliver his prophecies about Ghana without directly referring to the country.
Right before delving into his prophecies, the controversial pastor issued a disclaimer saying his prophecies will be about a nation called Umuofia and not Ghana.
Strikingly, however, were the similarities between details about the nation of Umuofia and Ghana as disclosed in his prophecies.
“I saw a heavy cloud like the cloud of darkness covering the head of state of Umuofia. Let’s take this prophecy very seriously, I saw a cloud of darkness covering the head of state of Umuofia. I saw that his deputy is using mediums to trigger the quick passing away of the head of state. I saw in the realm of the spirit that the shoe of the big man is being worn by the deputy. I saw in the nation of Umuofia that something that has happened there is about to reoccur again,” he stated.
Prophet Nigel also warned of a terror attack in the nation of Umuofia. He warned that a pending explosive attack will occur in the nation of Umuofia and that the attack will be an external one with internal collaboration.
Without mincing words, Prophet Nigel said the Lord revealed to him that former President John Dramani Mahama will win power in 2024 but warned that the current government of “Umuofia” will do everything to subvert the ballot.
“The hand of the Lord rested upon me and carried me into the election of 2024 or 2025 in the nation of Umuofia, and the Lord told me to tell them, to tell the CND people they should forget about the Ashanti Region. They should focus more on the Northern region. Because the election will be determined by these two regions. I saw a flag with red and black taking dominance. But let the CND people focus more on the northern region.
“Again, the Lord carried me in the realm and said I should say. The Lord said if the CND people of Umuofia do not wake up they will use systems and the EC and the NIA to twist the agenda and the will of the people. So let the CND people be more vigilant.
He also predicted that 2022 will be a difficult year with a famine similar to that of 1983 likely to occur. On the works of parliament, Prophet Nigel said there is a conscious effort to reduce the minority seats and added that there will be a by-election.
He also gave several prophecies about the speaker of parliament, the NPP’s internal election, and the Greater Accra Regional Minister.
He added that the current Special Prosecutor will resign just like his predecessor but issued all the prophecies alluding to the nation of Umuofia.
List of Owusu Bempah’s coded prophecies
Leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministries International, Isaac Owusu Bempah, begged his congregation to accept a proverbial edition of prophecies during the 2021 Watch Night and Cross Over event at the church headquarters in Accra.
Whiles admitting that this year’s session may not have been enjoyable as previous years due to the manner of prophecies, he tasked them to accept it as such and pray about the issues to the best of their abilities.
GhanaWeb lists a number of the proverbial prophecies that Owusu Bempah delivered during the well-attended service that ended in the wee hours of January 1, 2022.
Prayer for Parliament
Owusu Bempah requested prayers for MPs because two persons holding candlesticks clashed causing their flames to be extinguished. “We need to remember Parliament in prayers, we will remember them in prayers,” he stated.
Escalating tribal conflict
Without giving specifics or mentioning in which region, the prophet said two tribes with serious disagreements were revealed to him and the spat became a public issue and military intervention was required.” The offshoot was not palatable so we need to pray about it,” he added.
Prayers for Asanteman
“I saw darkness over Asanteman, I will pray that God intervenes,” he stated.
Prayer for people living along the coast
“We will pray for people living along the coast. I saw a man who was in the shape of water and he had walked to places inhabited by people. When he was going back, he went along with some people from the living world.
“We will pray water does not invade people,” he added.
A religious leader who travelled and never returned
“I saw a religious leader travelling, when he went he stayed on and delayed for so long and I saw nothing more about him. Prayers must go on,” he stated.
A big musician to get into trouble
Owusu Bempah announced that big musicians must be remembered especially the very prominent and popular ones.
“I saw a popular musician who is well respected and largely followed, lose his hair and I saw his bare head. He lost all his hair. We will pray for prominent musicians,” he added.
Combative Kangaroos in security uniforms
“I also saw a kangaroo wearing military attire and another in police attire fighting and all trees around were in commotion. Trees were trying to intervene but it was impossible, even after a leader tried to intervene and it came down a bit.
“(Let us pray) if not, Kangaroo in military and police attire will clash,” he stated.
Sleigh drawn by horses and donkeys crash
Owusu Bempah said he saw a sleigh with horses in lead. The eyes of the horses lights like car headlights. “I saw donkeys, horses and sleighs going at speed. The street before them rose and they entered a ditch. What emerged was bad.”
Encounter with silent destructive darkness
“I saw darkness walking and I asked where it was going and it discarded me. It refused to answer me, ‘darkness stop, what are you doing,’ it refused to respond.
“I saw darkness go and stand at a big house and cover it with its hands, whiles rising, I heard shouts and screams in the house all subsequent questions, it refused and left the land of the living. I didn’t see it again.”
In his closing remarks, he stated: “2022, if you walk well with God, you will be blessed. There will be marriage, which means the end time is almost here. The Bible says women will be given in marriage. Take good care of yourselves.”
Details of Elisha Salifu Amoako’s prophecies
During his first Sunday of 2022 service, the Founder and Leader of the Alive Chapel International, Archbishop-elect Elisha Salifu Amoako listed out some prophecies about the nations of the world.
He called for prayers to be made against a lot of deaths and major confusion.
Starting from the United States of America, right down to Ghana, the prophet told his congregation about how there have been major attacks initiated in the realms of the spirit against major personalities and groups of persons in the world.
“The angel of the Lord carried me into the nations, into the kingdoms. And the Lord said, in 2022, beginning from this month, the enemy has designed destruction and mind-boggling destruction against the world leaders. I’m talking about the present and the past. If we don’t pray for them, this year will be a year of major destructions.
“And the angel settled me in the United States and I saw a major death; a national one in the United States of America and the Lord said, ‘Son of Man, pray against this destruction against the world leaders,’ he said.
Archbishop-elect Salifu Amoako also spoke about what he said will be major deaths in India that will be occasioned by heavy rains, resulting in floods.
“And the angel settled me in the land of India. The Indian problem this year is going to be rain; rainfall will wipe away many lives. It will be heavy rainfall … with heavy floods that is destroying people. The Lord said I pray also for the nation of India,” he said.
In Africa, he began his prophecies from Nigeria, calling for prayers to be made for the pastors in the country because a wind of many deaths has been directed at them.
He also urged the actors in the country to take their prayer lives seriously otherwise they will be very surprised by the way people in the industry will die.
“Then He brought me to Africa and when I came to Africa, we settled in Nigeria. The Lord said, this year, certain high men of God need to pray in Nigeria because the enemy will kill some men of God; certain men of God, not only Nigeria too. Some men of God are going to die in Ghana; many men of God. You’d be surprised the way it’s going to happen. We need to pray.
“And I looked and I saw actors in Nigeria, and many of them, they have names, and the enemy attacked them and they started falling one after the other. The Lord says we should pray,” he said.
In Ghana, the prophet spoke to the media and the country’s lawmakers, stating that major attacks have been planned for them and that there is the need for prayers to be said for them, against all those evil.
Salifu Amoako also said that the two main political parties should be guided since a major confusion is likely to break out between them.
“Then when he brought me to Ghana, this year, all the media houses – the media houses, the media men, need to pray because they’ll be attacked and there’ll be a major occurrence of death in the sector of the media. The Lord said we should pray because the media will be attacked.
“Number two, in Ghana here, the Lord said we must pray for the parliamentarians because this year will be a year of political confusion. There will be a major confusion between NPP and NDC. I see a lot of confusion but the Lord said we should remember them in prayer,” he said
He also spoke about directly sending an information to a sitting president who needs foreknowledge on something that is to happen between now and February of 2023; prayer for the Queen of England; that a Christian will rise up to lead in Nigeria; confusion in Uganda in June; and for the former president of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo to be prayed for because there is a plan to poison him since the people want him back but people in power do not.
Archbishop-elect Salifu Amoako also spoke about the world’s economies getting better, adding that in 2022, Ghana’s economy will grow by 7%, among other things.
The Glorious Word Power Ministry International’s founder and leader, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, has revealed his first prophecy for the upcoming year.
Usually, the man of God announces his prophecies on December 31 but on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25, 2022, Owusu Bempah detailed a spiritual encounter he had which gives him confidence that 2023 will be a great year.
Addressing his congregation, he prophesied into their lives that their prayers will be answered in the coming year.
“I had a revelation that I was holding a mango. I saw another mango hanging and God asked me to hit the mango I was holding with the one hanging. I did just that and both mangoes fell into my hands. There will be blessings in 2023.
“Mangoes will fall into your hands. Something joyous will come to life. 2023 will be exciting. Don’t be surprised if you park your car here. Those without lands will buy land,” he said.
Reverend Owusu Bempah also promised his church members to expect fireworks on December 31, 2022, when he will announce new prophecies.
“This year’s 31st All Night will be different from the others. We will see things we’ve not seen before and Ghanaians will hear what they’ve never heard before.
“I’m very keen on the 31st night service and I can’t sleep. I wish tomorrow was 31st. It’s like Jesus rising to Heaven after his death. He was wild because he didn’t want anything to disturb him.
“In the World Cup, there is an Argentine player called Messi and I heard that he couldn’t sleep because of the game, I’ve meant 31st night more than Messi meant the World Cup,” he said.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bwumia on Sunday, December 25, 2022 visited Reverend Owusu Bempah’s church to mark Christmas Day.
Bawumia appealed to Reverend Owusu Bempah to continue praying for the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has cautioned against what it terms to be charlatanic activities. In a statement issued on Friday, it warned the public to desist from such ventures.
“The activities which often begin with misleading advertisements on some mainstream and social media platforms lure unsuspecting members of the public including children, and deceive them into engaging in dubious acts, in the hope of getting rich overnight”, the police said.
Meanwhile, financial news portal, Bloomberg is predicting that the economy in the coming year could be worse than 2022 where government admitted huge headwinds that hit the economy with depreciation of the cedi and galloping inflation as main indicators.
This comes after the administration indicated that it will stop making payments on its external debt.
According to Fitch, the start of a sovereign default process is the cessation of interest payments on a specific category of foreign debt, such as Eurobonds, commercial term loans, and the majority of bilateral debt.
“On 20 December, the government announced plans to restructure its external sovereign debt, which will add to the pressure on banks’ capital. Details have yet to be announced but payments on selected external debt, including Eurobonds, commercial term loans, and most bilateral debt, have been suspended. Fitch views this as the beginning of a sovereign default process,” parts of Fitch’s statement read.
The issue rating on Ghana’s partially-guaranteed $1 billion notes maturing in 2030 was also downgraded to ‘CC’ from ‘B- ‘.
The dollar notes benefit from a partial credit guarantee (PCG) backed by the International Development Association of the World Bank for scheduled debt service payments of up to 40% of the original principal.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reassured personnel of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) of government’s plan to supply them with ‘valuable weapons’ required to combat crime and create a safe environment for all.
He is hoping to leverage on government’s digitisation drive after the successful integration of databases and systems to make for easy and flexible verification and identification of persons of interest or even suspects.
If the said valuable weapons are successfully delivered and connected to integrated databases, Dr Bawumia said it will help to “leapfrog many other advanced countries” in the area of surveillance and crime fighting.
Dr Bawumia said this when he received $2 million worth of mobile devices and software packages to help in tailing suspects who may be on the police watch list in a bid to bring digitisation to bear in protecting the citizens.
‘’If you’re going to benefit from digitalisation, you cannot allow the system that you’re setting up to sit in silos.
“You have to integrate the systems so that you can benefit from knowing if you’re in a crime database and you integrate it with the national ID database, you can tell when you meet somebody who is on the crime database that this person is either a criminal or someone who is wanted.
“So the issue of integration of the police database with the NIA database is very important. With these devices (mobile device software) it is very important that when the Police meet you on the street they can tell who you are with or without your Ghana card.
“They can tell if you’re wanted or not. They can tell whether the vehicle you’re driving is registered or not because you’re linking the databases. So it is a valuable weapon in the fight against crime and the protection of the public and the safety of the public.”
The Vice President who has been spearheading government’s digitalisation drive described the donation as the beginning.
“We are going to see more and more devices in the hands of police officers across the country so that policing will be very effective.
“This is something that Ghana and Service will be proud of because we’re moving into an area where in fact many advanced countries are still trying to get into that area.”
The Inspector General of Police Dr Akufo Dampare who was visibly excited about the donation expressed optimism about how it will help the men in uniform as part of the police transformation agenda.
“We can’t wait to use them because we know it will transform policing in Ghana.”
On his part, the Executive Director of Margin ID groups of companies who are partnering with the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the production of the Ghana Card said, the donation is to complement the work of the NIA, plus an added advantage.
‘’We support the Police because we can see the dynamism within which the Police has increased visibility. And with the encouragement of the Vice President, we are ready to support the Police in their digitisation agenda as part of the national digitisation policy.
“The Police protect us all, so our corporate social responsibility objective is to help them continue on the dynamic trail on which they are. Having done a tour of the police facility, I’m even more convinced that this donation is in the right direction.
“Our donation is an extension of the national identification infrastructure which today has over 17.5 million people on their database both foreigners and nationals who are the centre of the digitisation agenda because it allows everybody to know people who are accessing resources and who they claim they are.’’
The technology is also expected to help put surveillance on suspects wherever they may be in the country.
“The Police in this sense will be able to identify people in real-time with the device management platform with or without the Ghana Card in whatever part of Ghana that they are. They can also in real-time tell people who are on a watch list for whatever reason of crime and will be able to bring digitisation to bear in protecting the citizens.”
The company has since donated 100 mobile device software that have been delivered to the Ghana Police Service with a promise to donate more going forward.
A five-month pregnant woman who fell into a well in Sekondi Takoradi, Ghana’s Western Region, has been identified as deceased.
The pregnant woman, identified as Efua Amoaba, is claimed to have been fetching water from the well with her three children when the tragedy happened.
Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, James Obeng Jnr, who was called to the scene, said the children who were oblivious to what happened returned home alone and did not raise an alarm.
However, her body was discovered by some residents who also went to the well to fetch water for washing.
“Preliminary investigations note that the woman left home on December 20 to go to the well but she was not found until Wednesday when residents raised an alarm that someone was floating in the well. Our personnel visited the scene and retrieved the body only to discover the victim was actually pregnant,” he said.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and police have reported to close off the well.
The police have since retrieved the body and deposited it at the Effia Nkwanta mortuary as investigations commence.
Currently, the well has been sealed off and residents have been restricted from visiting that site.
In the year 2022, armed robbery incidents in Ghana have been on the rise. Reports indicated an escalation in armed robbery cases in 2022 as compared to previous years.
The rise in the armed robbery case is a call up to the Ghana Police Service to put on their guard and be extra vigilant.
Pulse recounts the number of robberies that happened in 2022 and below are some of the incident.
Armed robbers kill 52-year-old gold buyer
In August, a gang of armed robbers killed a 52-year-old gold buyer at Wassa Saaman, a community near Wassa Akropong in the Amenfi East Municipality of the Western Region.
Reports stated that the man was attacked by the armed robbers after he had closed from work on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
Confirming the incident, Frederick Korankye, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Amenfi East said the armed robbers made away with an unspecified amount of money, gold bars together with some mobile phones and fled into the nearby bush.
Narrating the incident to Sekondi-Takoradi-based Connect FM, he said “Around 10 pm…I received a call from the Police Commander that a gold buyer has been killed by armed robbers.
“He had even gotten home and parked his vehicle. He was there with his child when one of the armed robbers pulled a pump action and demanded his bag.”
The MCE added: “He handed over the bag to the armed robber and started shouting after a few minutes for help. Unknowingly, one of the armed robbers was hiding in the bush, he fired gunshots and killed the gold buyer instantly.”
He stated that the police command in the region has initiated investigations to arrest the armed robbers.
The deceased left behind two wives and three children.
Armed robbers bolt with church offering during the watch night
A group of armed men attacked a church during the Good Friday festivity at a Church at Atwima Afrancho in the Ashanti Region.
They robbed the church and bolted with offerings and thanksgiving.
Reports stated that the robbery left about five people injured including three children.
The heavily armed robbers stormed the church around 1:00 am while the Church was having a watch night on Easter Friday.
They took away phones and cash.
3 robbers die in fire exchange with police at Shiashie
Three suspected armed robbers were shot dead during an exchange of fire with the police at Shiashie, a suburb of Accra.
Three of the suspects who were shot died on the spot, and the fourth suspect has been arrested and is currently in Police custody.
Police gun down armed robber in Kumasi
The Ghana Police Service on Friday, October 21, 2022, gunned down an armed robber who snatched an envelope from a bank customer.
The Police in a statement said the armed robber and his accomplice who were on motorbikes attacked a customer who had stepped out of the Fidelity bank, Maakro branch, carrying a brown envelope.
The robbers attacked the bank customer and snatched the envelope amidst the firing of guns.
The rear windscreen and the left door glass of a Daewoo Matiz saloon car which was parked on the bank premises were hit during the shooting.
The Police in a statement said the shootout followed “intelligence that an armed robbery gang was planning an attack on the cluster of banks in the Suame Magazine and Maakro enclave in Kumasi, the Police launched a special anti-robbery operation in which one of the armed robbers was shot”.
Police arrest a gang of six robbers in Bono East Region
Police have arrested six suspected robbers at Techiman in the Bono East Region following an intelligence-led operation on July 17, 2022.
The suspects have been identified as Issa Mohammed alias Baba Container Money, Reagan Kwaku Boakye alias Baby Face, Kwaku Boateng alias Star Boy, Elija Osei, and Gyimah Sadique.
“A search conducted on them during the arrest led to the recovery of a locally made pistol with four live AAA cartridges, one toy pistol, two motorbikes, one cutlass, one hammer, and three pairs of scissors,” police said in a statement.
“Other items retrieved from them include one flashlight, one cutter, one pepper spray, and 22 assorted mobile phones believed to belong to victims of their operations. Fifty Euros (€ 50) and an amount of Two Thousand, Five Hundred Cedis (GH₵ 2,500.00) were also retrieved from them,” it added.
3 killed in robbery attack in Tamale
An armed robbery attack on a mobile money vendor at Kalaraga, a suburb of Tamale left three people dead on June 7, 2022.
The attack happened around 7:30 hours when the armed robbers shot dead a mobile money vendor, whose name was given as Suale, as well as a passer-by.
The third victim, a Fulani, who was riding through the area after the robbery attack, was lynched by the mob, while his motorbike was also burnt after he was thought to be one of the armed robbers.
2 killed in robbery on Ejura-Nkwanta–Nyinase road
Two men lost their lives along the Ejura-Nkwanta-Nyinase road in the Ashanti Region after some unknown hoodlums opened fire on them during a robbery operation on Monday, October 31, 2022.
The robbers attacked and robbed a family of three.
The victims identified as Kipo Sumaila,50, died on the spot, while Ibrahim Iddrisu, 40, died, at St Luke’s Hospital in Kasei, where he was receiving treatment.
The body of Iddrisu has been deposited at the Ejura Government Hospital mortuary.
“Victim Ibrahim Iddrisu died while receiving treatment, while Masawudu Sumaila has been treated and discharged from the hospital,” the police in a statement issued by ASP Godwin Ahianyo, the Ashanti Regional Police PRO stated.
He said the unidentified hoodlums managed to flee from the robbery scene with their stolen booty (money).
Editor of Ghanaian online news portal, WhatsUp News, David Tamakloe, has commended the efforts of the Ghana Police Service throughout the year for what he believes to be a remarkable year for the country’s security agency.
According to him, despite the numerous demonstrations and uproar the country has experienced this year, the police have maintained sanity and order across the country and hence deserve special mention.
In an interview on the Happy Morning Show during the ‘Editors Take’ edition, Mr. Tamakloe reiterated that the upcoming Christmas festivities pose another tough challenge for the police.
He, therefore, charged the police service to take advantage of the busy weeks ahead to maintain a positive image in the minds of Ghanaians.
“We need to appreciate the good works of the Ghana Police force this year. Despite some challenges, they’ve stood their ground. Their work at this time of the year is always very difficult. They do their best to see to it that the country keeps its sanity in times like this. In terms of accidents, criminals and the busy nature of our cities and roads, they do their best to keep things running. So, we’ll give them their flowers and encourage them to continue the good works,” he told Samuel Eshun.
“The few bad officers who take advantage to make money during this situation should be cautioned and rather take advantage of the festive situations to keep the image of the police service intact and they’ll reap the benefits when everything is said and done,” he added.
Emmanuel Kwame Adzavor, a 47-year-old taxi driver, passed away after being detained by Ghana Police Service officers, according to reports
The motorist was reportedly detained for allegedly committing a traffic infringement at Circle, an Accra suburb, and was being transported to the Ghana Police Service’s headquarters, according to a news report by GHOne TV.
The report indicated that the driver, as he was heading towards the police headquarters in the company of the policeman, fell ill and was taken to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), where he died.
The family and the owner of the car of the deceased taxi driver, however, suspect foul play in the death of Emmanuel Kwame Adzavor.
According to the car owner, who spoke to GHONE TV, the deceased driver informed him of his arrest while he was waiting to meet him at Circle.
According to him, he spoke to the policeman who had made the arrest, and he (the officer) was demanding money. He added that the police officer, after a few minutes, called back to say that the driver had fallen ill and he was taking him to the hospital.
“I asked him (the police) what he had done to the driver for him to be taken to the hospital. I took a dropping to Ridge only to see the lifeless body of my son,” the car owner said in Twi.
The brother of the late driver, who also spoke to GHOne TV, said that he is surprised about the death of Kwame Adzavor because he had no pre-existing illness.
He called on the Ghana Police Service to investigate the matter and ensure that the policeman who arrested his brother is punished if he caused the death of the late driver.
He added that, should the police fail to take action, he would avenge the death of his brother.
This comes after the analysis of the “Police-specific video material” from the incident.
Four people were hurt and properties were destroyed as a result of the disruptions these people produced, according to the police.
The suspects are a part of two competing factions, according to a news release released by the Police on Sunday.
“Following violent disturbances at the NDC’s National Youth and Women’s Congress held at Cape Coast in the Central Region on December 10, 2022, 16 people have so far been declared wanted in connection with the violence.
“While proceedings were ongoing at the Congress two rival groups violently clashed throwing stones, blocks, sticks, clubs, chairs among others, causing injury to three persons and destruction to property,” the Police said.
The Police said its swift intervention brought the issue under control.
“The intervention of the Police brought the situation under control for the processes to continue to the end without any further incident,” they said.
“A ¢10,000 reward has been set aside for any member of the public who can provide credible information to the police that can lead to the arrest of any of the suspects,” the statement concluded.
The Ghana Police Service has stated that they have shot and killed two and taken into custody one of the armed robbers who last Friday assaulted and killed a woman at Caprice in Accra.
In a press release sent out on Monday, December 12, the Police explained that ts intelligence operations led them to the thieves hiding place.
Upon arrival at their hideout, the robbers engaged the Police in a gun battle which led to the killing of the two.
It added that one of its personnel sustained a gunshot injury to his thigh and is receiving medical attention.
Meanwhile, Police intelligence operations say it will continue its hunt and get the rest of the gang members arrested.
About the incident
A viral video of the robbery attack shows the woman was attacked in her vehicle while in traffic at Caprice, near Kokomlemle.
The victim was shot in the hand and her vehicle’s rear door glass was also destroyed.
A collaboration between the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service has resulted in the interception of some 981 sacks of compressed substances purported to be marijuana at Liero, near the Burkina Faso border.
According to a statement from the Ghana Immigration Service, a patrol team acting on intelligence raided the home of the suspect.
The statement added that the search conducted discovered that most of the rooms in the house had sacks of the suspected marijuana.
It further stated that the 981 sacks have been handed over to the Hamile Border Post for further interrogation.
“The respective state security agencies would be invited to analyse the exhibits to ascertain the veracity of our deep suspicion about what the substance actually is.
“In the meantime, frantic efforts are being made to apprehend persons connected to the ceased substance to aid in the investigation and appropriate action.”
Meanwhile, the Hamile Border Post Commander, Chief Supt. Owusu Ansah commended the residents who aided in the seizure and urged all and sundry to help the police put an end to the menace.
“Whereas we appreciate the impeccable rapport with the locals, we wish to respectfully inform the few unrepentant ones not to stand in our way. They must either change or we change them, the middle ground is not an option,” he added.
On the other hand, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has announced that it has uncovered potential narcotics drugs worth US$1.4 million at Accra’s Central Post Office.
A statement, signed by NACOC’s Head of Public Affairs and International Relations Department, revealed that some five brown boxes had the Ghana Post’s logo.
The Commission added that 150 packets of coffee labeled “Café Naijar Classic” were contained in each package, which was designed for the United Arab Emirates.
However, it added that the Ghana Standards Authority has received the samples of the illicit drugs while investigations proceed.
At Liero, a town close to the Burkina Faso border, a joint patrol team of Ghana Police Service and Immigration service seized 981 bags of compressed substance believed to be marijuana.
The service was able to intercept the alleged drugs after receiving intel. The service allegedly conducted a raid on a man’s (name withheld) Liero house.
The team found that the majority of the rooms were loaded with bags containing what was thought to be marijuana.
“The respective state security agencies would be invited to analyse the exhibits to ascertain the veracity of our deep suspicion about what the substance actually is,” part of the statement read.
“In the meantime, frantic efforts are being made to apprehend persons connected to the ceased substance to aid in the investigation and appropriate action,” it added.
It continued that, “Whereas we appreciate the impeccable rapport with the locals, we wish to respectfully inform the few unrepentant ones not to stand in our way. They must either change or we change them, the middle ground is not an option.”
According to reports, the event happened at Okorase, a Koforidua neighbourhood in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The exact cause of the suspect’s actions is unknown, but according to a Citinewsroom story seen by GhanaWeb, Alex Tengeh revealed as much in his police statement, that he had been introduced to a marijuana toffee before acting.
Father of the young lady, Kofi Amponsah is said to have come to the rescue his daughter after which he lodged a complaint with the police.
The suspect who had escaped from the scene is said to have then moved to his home and attacked his grandfather who was in bed.
Tengeh beheaded his grandfather and subsequently butchered his stepmother who is said to have attempted to rescue the old man upon hearing his screams.
A neighbour, Comfort Ofori escaped an attempt on her by the suspect.
The incident is said to have thrown the entire Okarase community into a state of shock and mourning.
