The youth of Dagbon in the northern region have implored the Minister for Interior, Ambrose Dery and the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo-Dampare, to as a matter of urgency restore professional and standard policing in the Tamale metropolis and beyond.
The youth have also called for equal application of the law and due process, fair punishment in the administration of justice and compensation of all victims in the recent shooting incident at Lamashegu that led to a teenager losing his life and dozens sustaining gunshot wounds.
“We recognise and appreciate the steps taken by the IGP, including the interdiction process. We hope the outcome of this will be made public as we continue to calm the nerves of residents of the Lamashegu community.”
At a news conference in Tamale on Thursday (February 17, 2022), the Vice President of Dagbon Forum (DF), Sakoya Naa Sintaro Mahama, intimated that, “We shall not rest until justice is done and the reckless conduct on the part of the police is stopped. The people of Dagbon have fought so hard to come out of the dark years of negative stereotypes and we shall not sit down to allow a few recalcitrant police officers drag us back into the mud.”
“This act of impunity brought back memories of numerous police brutalities recorded in the Tamale Metropolis in the last two years. It is against this background, Dagbon Forum is calling on the Minister of Interior, Hon. Ambrose Derry and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare to speed up investigations and bring the perpetrators to book” he added.
Police officer remanded
Meanwhile, the police officer who allegedly shot into the salon car that triggered the riots, General Corporal Samson Kweku Darfour, was arraigned before court and remanded into police custody. He was charged with unlawful discharge of weapon and causing harm. He is expected to reappear in court on February 24, 2022.
Notwithstanding that, the group blamed the Tamale Metropolitan Police Command for allowing the situation to get to this unfortunate state.
“What we can say clearly is that we have received reports, and have witnesses, of excessive use of force by some security officers, shooting, live ammunition being used, beatings of innocent citizens as well as detentions in the Tamale Metropolis over the last two years” the group alleged.
Disregard for tradition
Chief Sintaro Mahama said the Dagbon Forum is alarmed by what appears to be total disregard of the traditional authority of Dagbon, in ways that constitute violations of, and an affront to the constitution and laws of the country.
“We recall that on 16th January 2020, some police officers in Yendi chased an articulator truck driver and his mate to the Dagbon Overlord, Yaa-Naa’s Palace. They assaulted, arrested and injured the driver and his mate at the forecourt of the King’s palace. A related incident occurred at the Sagnar-Naa’s Palace and now the palace of Lamashe-Naa. Enough is enough!
Police brutalities
The Dagbon Forum Vice President narrated to Journalists that at about 3am on 18th April, 2021, at dawn, some police officers undertook armed operation in the densely populated Changli and Dagban Dabbi-fong communities, suburbs of Tamale. The police invaded homes and unleashed mayhem on innocent civilians.
“Whilst many people were injured, in fact, one victim, was shot in the head and had to undergo surgery at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The police reportedly damaged several properties. Just a week before the Changli incident, police officers assaulted residents of Kukuo under the pretext of enforcing coronavirus safety protocols. Earlier, some police officers assaulted, injured and reportedly destroyed properties of residents of Kanvili-Kpawumo, Tishigu, Zujung, and Sabongida” he asserted.
