Family and friends of some seven men killed in an alleged gunfight with police on Tuesday say the armed policemen killed innocent men, not armed robbers.
The Police in Ashanti Region on Tuesday killed the seven men during an operation on robberies in Manso, a town in the region.
However, less than 24 hours after the incident, close friends and family of the deceased have come forward to say there may have been a case of mistaken identities.
The Police are set to address the public on the incident later Wednesday.
Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Asokore Mampong, where some of the victims lived, said, “I know three out of the seven…they are NPP [New Patriotic Party] sympathisers and I know them personally.”
He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Daniel Dadzie on Wednesday, “Yesterday will be the day I will never forget in my life,” lamenting that none of the three he knows personally have any criminal records.
The seven victims were gunned down on Tuesday afternoon by a team of policemen from the Ashanti Regional Police SWAT Unit at Poano near Anhwiakwanta on the Kumasi-Obuasi road.
The police say the suspected robbers, who were wielding guns, allegedly belong to a gang who killed one Lance Corporal Daniel Tieku of the SWAT Unit, last week (June 11, 2018) during a robbery operation.
Joy News’ Erastus Asare Donkor says his sources within the police say the suspected armed robbers attempted to open fire on the police as they approached them. However, they were outsmarted and the well-armed police, who had mounted surveillance on the robbers, shot and killed them in the process.
The blood-soaked bodies of the deceased have been sent to the morgue for autopsy.
Mistaken identity
Erastus said on the Super Morning Show Wednesday that family members he has interacted with insist their kinsmen killed by police were not robbers.
“We have families of these people calling and telling us that these people are not robbers, but many of them are New Patriotic Party assigns. In fact, one of them, Musa Seidu, popularly known as Baba Nkande, is the Area Coordinator for the NPP in the Sabun Zongo area,” Erastus explains.
Meanwhile, the MCE Alhaji Alidu Seidu, wants the police to clarify the circumstances leading to the killings.
“These are people that I can never point a single finger at them to say that they have been involved in any act of armed robbery. So it took me by surprise…not me alone, it is throughout the community. Everybody is so [surprised] by the way the thing has unfolded but here we are,” said the MCE.
He has vowed to seek clarity on the incident from the Police.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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The question is what were they doing at Manso Nkwanta which about 50 miles away from the victims community? What are theirs missions there? Please stop the NPP and NDC NOISE.
THIS CALLS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.THE POLICE MIGHT BE WRONG OR RIGHT. THIS IS BECAUSE NO ARMED ROBBER WEARS A TAG AS IS DONE IN THE FORMAL SECTOR.MOST OF THE ROBBERIES THAT GO ON ARE COMMITTED BY THE PEOPLE AROUND US. WE SEE THEM NICELY DRESSED DURING THE DAY BUT IN THE EVENINGS THEY EMBARK ON THEIR WICKED VENTURES.THEY CAN BE INNOCENT BUT WE CAN PROVE THEIR INNOCENCE ON THEIR DRESSINGS AND PARTY AFFILIATIONS. PLEASE, LETS ALLOW THE POLICE TO DO THEIR WORK AND THEY MUST ALSO COME OUT AND TELL US THE TRUTH WHETHER THEIR PEOPLE ERRED OR TRULY THOSE SHOT WERE ARMED ROBBERS.
they could be clean guys,the police have to be careful how they kill innocent people.
THIS MCE IS NOT MAKING SENSE. EVEN YOUR OWN SON COULD BE AN ARMED ROBBER WITHOUT YOU KNOWING. SO STAY AWAY WITH YIOUR EMOTIONS AND ALLOW THE POLICE TO DO THEIR WORK. MEANWHILE THUMPS UP TO THE ASHANTI POLICE FOR A JOB WELL DONE. CONTINUE WITH THE GOOD WORKS OF COMMANDER ONE-KOFI BOAKYE!
It is utter nun sense to say that because they are known to be members of npp they cannot be armed robbers. Don't armed robbers have their parties? They want to always justify every wrong with political affiliations.
Oh Mother Ghana; everything is about NPP and NDC. What the heck has police shooting of armed robbers got to do with NPP? Does it mean NPP sympathizers cannot be armed robbers? Why did they shoot back? Sorry, poor Ghana; too gullible.
Are you serious at all? So because they voted for NPP/AKUFFO ADDO, when the Police have issues in a community, they should all NPP sympathizers aside before looking for suspect in the area? come again
Someone should tell the MCE to ***barred word*** because no armed robber wears a visible tag that easily identifies their profession. Many are the instances whereby even the wedded wives of captured robbers deny knowledge of their husband's robbery profession. LET NO ONE DRAG NPP INTO THIS and allow the police to undertake their investigation.
they are NPP [New Patriotic Party] sympathizers and I know them personally? AKUFO ADO/NPP IS IN POWER HOWEVER, I HOPE THE IGP/ASHANTI NPP REGIONAL COMMANDER THINKS AFTER THESE SEVEN GUYS VOTED FOR AKUFO ADO AND NOW REALIZE THEY ARE ARM-ROBBERS THUS KILLING THEM IS IN ODER.REMEMBER, THIS GUYS ARE PART OF INVISIBLE FORCES THAT STORM COURT LAST TIME.