INSECURITY: Youth of Kpetoe threaten to Burn Down Police Station over Conduct of Police Personnel

Tension is building among the youth in Agotime-Kpetoe in the Volta Region over what most have described as insecurity and total break-down of respect for the law by some personnel in uniform.

The Police in the area have come fierce criticism and the youth have given indications of their intentions  to set fire on the police command in the District if immediate steps are not taken to crackdown on the alleged recalcitrant personnel there. 

This, according to them will serve as a sign of protest against the level of oppression they suffer in the hands of the police in the Agotime-Ziope District. 

They explained that the police over the years have disrespected the people of the area and have thrown the rule of law to the dogs, thereby threatening citizens they are supposed to protect as required by law.

“On Friday the 28th of February, some three men who claimed to have come from Nkawkaw arrived in the Kpetoe township with the aim of assassinating a young business man……. the said men were spotted in the businessman’s residence where they were exerting pressure on the business man’s mother to reveal his whereabouts,” we gathered. 

According to information available to us, eyewitnesses to the incident suspected foul play and so reported the matter to one of the Chiefs in the town – Nene Atubri V. We also gathered that, the young men were handed over to the police on the said Friday after they were taken to the chief’s house for questioning. 

It was not clear if the police have commenced investigations into the matter yet; however, to the angry youth are alleging that the said men have been put on bail by the police.

Nene Atubri who spoke to ghananewsonline.com.gh in an interview expressed his disappointment with the conduct of the police. He asked for some order on the part of the police in the area.

According to Nene Atubri, “the police here are just power-drunk and must be whipped into line…….the earlier the better” he said in a telephone interview.  

According to him, the youth are angry and are even threatening to “lock up the police station,” adding that, “but for the intervention of the chiefs and some other persons, we wouldn’t have known the outcome of that action’ he said and also revealed that, the youth even threatened to burn down the police station in Kpetoe. 

“Corporal Isaac Nartey, Chief Inspector Akpemada and the District Commander must be questioned and if they cannot do their work then they should be transferred with immediate effect” one of the youth charged in an interview.

Some of the allegations raised against the police in the District include the usage of official vehicle for smuggling purposes and intimidation.

Some people believe that because most of the officers in the district have been there for a very long time they have become in-effective when it comes to crime prevention and managing disputes.

District Commander of Police in Agotime Kpetoe, Benedicta Abboah Offei, has since been tight lipped on the said development. She however told us that, plans are far advanced for her office to speak on the matter. She indicated to ghananewsonline.com.gh that, she needs to do some official checks before commenting on the matter and therefore was unable to give further details when contacted. 

Meanwhile, tension has been brewing high in Sogakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region over the assassination of a young man Marcus Mawutor Adzahli. Early on Sunday morning, Marcus was shot and killed at his residence by unidentified gunmen. 

According to Citi News, his wife and child are also in critical condition at the District Hospital.The residents, following the death, massed up at the Sogakope police station on Monday demanding its immediate closure because of the perceived lack of action from the police in the area. 

Source: Alhaji Umar and Derrick Botsyoe || ghananewsonline.com.gh