Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, claims he does not know the names of the troops who fired and killed two demonstrators and wounded four others after seeking the participation of the military at a civil demonstration in Ejura as Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Security Council.
According to him, the names of the operators have still to be revealed after a preliminary inquiry into the issue.
Nasir Yussif and Murtala Mohammed, two Ejura locals, were killed by troops during a demonstration over the death of another Ejura native, Ibrahim Mohammed nicknamed Macho Kaaka.
One of the four other people who received gunshot wounds had one of his legs amputated at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, a sixteen-year-old kid.
Taking his turn at the ministerial committee hearing in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Minister justified the inclusion of the military during the operation to restore calm in the town.
“…As I was informed, the military moved forward for the police to be behind them because their method to disperse the crowd failed. It was during that period that I was told the shooting incidents or whatever took place, but as to who gave the shots, I have not been informed yet or to say it has not been established yet.”
Mr. Osei-Mensah, on the other hand, supported the military’s participation in the demonstration.
According to him, he needed to restore calm in order to preserve lives and property, and he does not believe the two agencies’ cooperation should stop. He said he acted in accordance with Section 1030 of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act.
“I’ve used this strategy all this while. This is the first time we have casualties, and I think we should continue with it,” Mr. Osei-Mensah said.
Background
The violence happened during demonstrations after Ibrahim Muhammed’s death.
Ibrahim Muhammed, nicknamed Kaaka, was killed on June 27 after he was assaulted by a crowd while coming home.
He is thought to have been assassinated because of his criticism of the administration.
Using his Facebook profile, the 45-year-old has been outspoken on both local and national concerns.
Three people have been detained and charged in connection with his murder by police in the Ashanti Region.
Ibrahim Muhammed was buried with the two others who died in the demonstration on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
Source: CITINEWSROOM
