Shaip Africa, Ko Y3l3 Eku, and Teleku Bokazo Youth are calling for the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry pursuant to Article 278 of the 1992 constitution to launch full-scale investigations to unravel what orchestrated the killing of Andrews Donkor and the damages at Esiama Police station on 1st April 2022.
In a press release issued by the aforementioned groups, the Commission of Enquiry will take a neutral position and ensure a peaceful resolution.
According to them, the Inspector General of Police has taken a one-sided position on the matter upon visiting the elders of the community by demanding the arrest of the youth for the alleged damages at the Esiama Police Station without thinking of Andrews Donkor who was shot and killed by the Military.
They said the Ghana Police Service can’t be trusted of being neutral because of their prejudiced statement on the issue.
In their press statement, they recounted that Friday, 1st of April 2022, the people of Teleku Bokazo community were hit by an unfortunate shooting incident that took place at the Nkroful District Court premises which rendered one young man from Teleku Bokazo by name Andrews Donkor dead and others including David Mohammed injured.
In their account, the shooting incident proceeded with the arrest of some illegal miners who were mining in an old abandoned pit of Adamus Resource Company on Friday 1st April 2022 around 3:00am and subsequently processed for court same day at Nkroful District Court.
Upon hearing the arrest of their colleagues, the youth of the community moved to the court premises to witness proceedings.
The Press statement contained that eyewitness’s narrations reveal one of the youths was only taking a video record of the scene but the Military personnel took offense and seized the phone.
Upon hearing this, some of the youths approached the Military to collect the phone for their colleague who resulted in a misunderstanding and the Military subsequently shot at the youths.
According to their records, the youth visited the court premises unarmed and therefore in the event of any disagreement, shooting at them should have been the least option for any armed security personnel.
They debunked that Andrews Donkor was not an illegal miner and was not involved in the “phone banter” between the Military and the youth.
They said Donkor was just an observer standing by and did not actively participate in anything that took place at the court premises.
However, the groups have condemned the damages caused at Esiama Police station by the aggrieved youths of Teleku Bokazo, adding that it was as a result of the fact that their colleague was shot dead by the Military for no harm caused and several other brutalities which have been meted out previously.
The IGP’s visit according to them sought to add salt to the injury of the people than to calm them and restore peace.
The 3 Nzema groups claim that ever since Adamus Resource Company started its mining activities in Teleku Bokazo and Anwia community, the people have not enjoyed the peace and have also been deprived of their sources of livelihood in diverse ways.
There have been several reports of alleged brutalities some ending in fatalities, the culprits are normally security personnel sent on the operation by Adamus Resource Company, the states have said.
The most recent incident happened on 22nd December 2021, when Michael Derry (Budu) a physically challenged 27 years old young man was burnt alive by Adamus Security.
However, they are demanding that steps should be taken by the Ghana Police Service to ensure that the integrity of the remains of Andrews Donkor is kept intact until the appropriate autopsy procedure is exhausted and the final determination of the matter.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom/Evans Boateng
