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Mohammed Iddi, brother of slain activist Ibrahim Mohammed a.k.a. Macho Kaaka, is having a hard time getting legal representation.

He is currently in custody of the Ghana Police Service as one of three persons connected to the gruesome attack that led to the death of Kaaka.

According to Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a convenor of the #FIxTheCountry campaign, all lawyers who have been contacted to give legal representation to Baba Iddi, have turned down the approach citing 'fear of political reprisals.'

In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, the University of Cambridge researcher said he had unsuccessfully tried to get a legal counsel for the Kaaka family.

"We have spoken to nearly 10 lawyers. Almost all of them have refused to take the case up because of fear of political reprisals," his post said before he launched what he described as a humanitarian appeal for fellow lawyers to step up and help.

Over the weekend, a local media portal, The Fourth Estate, cited a statement late last month in which Iddi told the police about political threats to his slain brother.

“On 26th June 2021, I woke up early in the morning and saw bloodstains on the corridor of the house and in front of our washroom.

"There, I asked the occupants and was told some Politician beat Kaaka wounded him was rushed to the hospital in Ejura…,” he is reported to have said in a police statement given in the Hausa language, which testimony was translated by a police investigator by name Kennedy.

According to the portal, one Bismark Salifu Braimah of Ejura was an independent witness to the writing of the statement as was the suspect's brother Mahawia Mohammed and a third person, Shaiwo Anyass.

Police said in a statement last week that preliminary investigations and eye witness accounts pointed to the fact that Iddi was complicit in the issue.

"Baba Iddi has since been arrested, arraigned before court and remanded into Police custody and helping in investigations," the statement read in part.

Iddi is the third suspect police are currently holding over the issue. The two others remain in police custody and according to sources are also helping with investigations.

Kaaka's death triggered protests in Ejura which led to the killing of two young people by a military team deployed to quell the violent protests.

A ministerial committee is currently sitting to unravel the circumstances around Kaaka's death and the subsequent violent incidents. The family has, however, declined to appear before the committee.
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