The National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) says five (5) persons were shot dead across the country during December 7, 2020 election.
Despite these incidents, the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) says it policed the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections professionally and lauds the public for their cooperation with pre-election security measures put in place and executed through the electioneering period.
It, however, said between the hours of 7:00am on 7th December 2020 and 10.00am hours of 9th December 2020; the Joint Operation Centre of the NESTF recorded a total of sixty-one (61) electoral and post-electoral incidents nationwide. Out of the number, twenty-one of the incidents are true cases of electoral violence, six of which involve gunshots resulting in the death of five.
The cases involving gunshots occurred as follows: Central region, Awutu Senya East constituency: 2 injured from a shooting incident by civilian(s) in the community during election period on 07-12-20.
Greater Accra region, Odododiodio constituency: 2 dead and 6 injured from a shooting incident by civilian (s) in the community during the post-election period on 07-12-20.
Greater Accra region, Ablekuma Central: 4 injured including a policeman from a shooting incident at the collation center during the postelection period on 08-12-20.
Bono East region, Techiman South constituency: 2 dead and 4 injured from shooting by security personnel at the collation center during the post-election period on 08-12-20.
The northern region, Savelugu Constituency: a shooting incident by civilian(s) at the Police Station, when people besieged the station during the post-election period on 08-12-20.
It stated that, in the Northern region, Savelugu Constituency: 1 one person died and 3 injured from a shooting incident by civilian(s) in the community during the post-election period on 08-12-20.
The NESTF deems the incidents recorded to be incidents that could have been avoided and therefore condemns their occurrence and promises to investigate each one of them.
Fake News
Reacting to fake news, NESTF sighted old videos in circulation, portrayed as incidents related to the ongoing electioneering exercise. The videos included police regional simulation exercises in the run-up to this year’s elections, where the media were invited to cover as part of Police engagement with the media, as key stakeholders of Ghana’s democracy.
Once again, the NESTF condemns these publications and warns that it is against the law for any person to send false or misleading communication. Any person who indulges in such will be arrested and prosecuted.
The NESTF continues to urge the public for calm through this period of waiting for results to be declared by the Electoral Commission.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
