Following a fight between rampaging youth and the police in Nkoranza in the Bono East area, one person has been confirmed dead, while nine others, including three in critical condition, are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Hospital.
The youth of the farming community invaded the Nkoranza Municipal Police Headquarters in protest over the suspected murder of Albert Akwasi Donkor and freed at least six suspects in detention.
A security reinforcement from Techiman could deter the youth from throwing stones and clubs at the officers, after destroying property, including vehicles, at the police headquarters.
The youth of Nkoranza, who had earlier postponed a protest march in protest of the alleged police killing of a 28-year-old trader and a player, released their rage on the local police headquarters.
They stopped marching to listen to Nana Kwame Baffoe IV, the paramount Chief of Nkoranza, who asked for calm and offered the assistance of the traditional council for prompt investigations.
Nana Baffoe’s demeanor, which reflected youth concerns, reflects the general mood of unease in Nkoranza.
“Even when I came today, my policeman I was a bit scared when I saw him with a gun because you are not sure who will pull the next trigger; who will fall the next victim. Nobody feels safe here,” Nana Baffoe revealed.
A group of the youth burned tires as they blocked a stretch of the main Ejura-Nkoranza road in front of the police headquarters, throwing insinuations and aspersions on officers on duty, only minutes after the meeting with Nananom.
Perhaps there was a foreshadowing of what was to come as the situation worsened, with the police headquarters being a target for the teenagers who wore hoods to hide their identities and threatened journalists not to tape their actions.
They were able to liberate detainees who had been detained by the police, including a man who had been remanded by a Nkoranza court.
For many minutes, the onslaught was one-sided until a police reinforcement unit arrived.
The armed officers were assaulted with stones and clubs by the youth intent on taking the battle to the police.
At least nine people have been shot and are being treated at St. Theresa’s Catholic Hospital.
The hospital’s administrator is Rev. Father John Bremini.
“We have about nine people who have suffered various injuries; some have been sent to the theater to be operated on. The second one is on the table that they are working.”
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Giving details on the injuries sustained by the victims, he added, “I was told that one, the bullet penetrated through the stomach and they have to work on the intestines and the other one was through the legs so had bled for many hours and now at the theater that they are working on.
The last one at the Emergency currently, there is a bullet in the chest. He was in comma and so they have to do resuscitation; that has been done so we hope that very soon, we have to also take him as well to theater to be operated on as well.”
SOURCE: myjoyonline