Personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have in their characteristic manner, taken the law into their own hands and unleashed yet another bout of mayhem on some Ghanaians over the murder of a soldier by name Sherif Imoro by some residents of Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region.
The unlawful conduct by the soldiers, appeared well planned with the full endorsement of the top hierarchy as heavy duty military vehicles and a helicopter, were seen being used by the fully armed personnel who were in uniform, while brutalizing the civilians.
Videos have since emerged on the brutalities with residents being lashed by the soldiers publicly while others were being forced to be roll on the ground in muddy water half-naked amid further threats of assault.
With references to Wa, Dome Faase, Ejura Sekyere Odumase and Techiman, the Ashaiman beatings is about the fifth time under the Akufo-Addo administration that the military has gone to town abusing the human rights of the civilians they were expected to protect.
Military personnel, had in a reprisal attack stormed Ashaiman on Tuesday, March 7 at 2am, and brutalized anyone they came across following the supposed murder of a military officer in the area. They were said to have stayed until midday when they left and a new set of personnel arrived in the community to continue with the beatings.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey, confirmed that Military officers stormed the homes of some civilians in Ashaiman on Monday, March 6 and brutalized them after a soldier was killed in the area.
The slain 22-year-old soldier, who was said to be with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) band in Sunyani in the Bono Region, was reportedly stabbed to death by unknown attackers on Saturday dawn in what is shaping out to be a mob attack instigated by a jealous lover or a girl he had gone to visit.
Interestingly, the soldiers who went beating the civilians were reported to have come from Michel’s camp, and the Ashaiman MP has revealed he tried talking to the head, but he was “unreachable.”
Sherif Imoro, The soldier, according to sources, was returning from his girlfriend’s house in Taifa, a suburb of Ashaiman and heading toward his residence at Zongo-Laka, another suburb of Ashaiman in the Greater Accra, when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Though he was carrying a laptop and other electronic gadgets, the attackers made away with only his iphone.
Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Professor Kwesi Aning has slammed the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) for unleashing mayhem on residents of Ashaiman.
Police were said to be investigating the circumstances under which the soldier was killed and had appealed for information from the public, but before any significant inroads were made, the soldiers yesterday, unleashed mayhem on residents of Ashaiman.
Prof. Aning said the actions of the military are unfortunate and unconstitutional and a usurpation of the arresting responsibilities of the Ghana Police Service.
Speaking on Citi Prime News, the security analyst said “all crimes are punishable by law, but in punishing those crimes, we cannot take the law into our own hands.”
He maintained that though the killing of the military personnel is condemnable, under no circumstance should the military have moved to the area in an attempt to arrest the supposed killers.
“When a person is in uniform representing the state of Ghana and you attack that person, you’ve attacked the state of Ghana. The response mechanism for those who feel offended was to go to the police and report because it is the Ghana Police Service that is the frontline agency that should have undertaken the investigations, find the evidence, and use it to prosecute those arrested.”
“It is unfortunate that the friends of this young man who has unfortunately died, have taken the law into their hands and brought the reputation of Ghana into disrepute,” Prof Aning added.
The Ashaiman MP, on the Sunrise show on 3FM with Johnnie Hughes, Tuesday March 7 that “They can be peeved because one of their own is gone but brutalizing people is not the solution to this problem.”
He added “I know the men (military men) are coming from Michel Camp. I have called the head there but his line is unreachable.”
He later said that more than 72 people have been arrested and taken into custody by the soldiers.
A Security Analyst, Dr Adam Bonaa has said the Military should have allowed the Police to investigate the circumstances under which one of them was allegedly killed in Ashaiman rather than taking the law into their own hands.
Dr Bonaa indicated that the act of brutalizing civilians by the military was wrong.
Dr Bonaa also told show host Johnnie Hughes that “The soldiers should have left this (killing their military man) in the hands of the police for investigations. The manner in which the soldiers undertook the operation was not right.”
Builsa North MP, James Agalga has also condemned the alleged killing of a soldier in Ashaiman saying though the action was unfortunate and should not have happened, the response by the soldiers seen brutalizing civilians over the murder, was equally condemnable.
Mr Agalga who is a ranking member of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament said “I am extremely worried. First of all, let me express my profound condolences to the family of the soldier who lost his life. I am informed that a young soldier in his 20s, sought permission from the barracks parents to visit Ashaiman.
“Whiles on his way to his destination he was attacked by a mob and violently killed, it is unfortunate, these things should not be happening in our country. In as much as the gruesome murder of the soldier is condemnable and unfortunate, the response of the military is equally regrettable.”
The former Deputy Interior Minister, speaking in an interview with TV3’s Parliamentary Correspondent Komla Kluste on Tuesday, March 7, added “We must all express our revulsion at the way and manner the soldiers stormed Ashaiman and meted out brutalities on the people of Ashaiman. Things shouldn’t happen that way, I am ashamed of what happened.
“I feel ashamed about what happened, our military should not take the law into their hands. A soldier has been killed, we have an institution of state responsible for the investigation of crime, in this case, the Police service has the mandate to investigate the commission of a crime and possibly prosecute.
“So rather than take the law into their hands, storm Ashaiman and met out brutalities on the people, I would have expected that the Military would cooperate with the Police to carry out an investigation.”
On Tuesday dawn (March 7, 2023), some alleged soldiers numbering not less than 20 stormed the area. They questioned anyone they came across and reportedly beat them up.
This forced people to lock themselves up in their homes, fearing they will be beaten up by the soldiers. Some eyewitnesses have recounted their experience on social media. Some said they saw the soldiers around 2am.
Sherif Imoro, was said to have been born at Ashaiman on June 3, 2001, according to his father – Awudu Imoro.
According to his father, he had his primary and junior high school education at Ashaiman and senior high school at Akwamuman SHS and completed in 2017.
On Friday, he was on his way home and there was heavy traffic in the area, so he alighted at Ashaiman Taifa near the court building. It was around that area that he met his death at the hands of his attackers.
Explaining the circumstances and giving a brief background about his son, the father, Awudu Imoro said in early January this year, Sherif phoned his mother and informed the family that he was going to be in Accra in the first week of February for a course.
Sherif, according to the father, told them that when he arrived in Accra, he would get the opportunity to visit them in the house on a Friday, and so in the last three weeks, he had been coming home every Friday.
