34 Arrested for harassing, terrorising residents over ban on movement
Thirty-four people have been arrested for allegedly harassing and terrorising some residents of Spintex, Nungua and other surrounding communities in an attempt to enforce the ban on movement of people imposed by the Nungua Traditional Council.
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The ban is said to have been imposed by the council in pursuance to the final funeral rites of the late Numo Borketey Lawer Trsu III, the Gborbu Wolomo.
As a result, the traditional council was said to have imposed a curfew starting from Thursday, March 2 to March 6 ,2017 to make way for some rites to be performed.
That led to workers and traders closing down their businesses before 10 p.m. last Thursday.
Later in the day (Thursday), the police issued a statement in the evening debunking the curfew.
Arrest
Briefing the Daily Graphic about the arrest, the Public Relation Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mrs Afia Tenge, said the Nungua District Police was directed to patrol some selected streets to ensure no crime was committed during the so called curfew period.
She said while on the Spintex Road, the police spotted three men harassing shop owners and forcefully collecting items from them.
The three, Ebenezer Bortier Bortei, Joseph Adjei and Solomon Otoo, were subsequently taken to the Nungua Police Station where their statements were taken.
Two others, Eric Quaye and Robert Apley, who were riding an unregistered motorbike along the Spintex Road, were also picked up for similar offence.
At Adjorman, near Greda Estate, the police arrested 25 persons, including women, who were clad in white cloths in a truck and collecting items and forcefully closing down shops.
The group, which was led by two Asafoanyemei and identified as Naa Kaikai and Naa Gyatukpe, were also said to have terrorised some residents and shop owners.
The police found two gas cylinders, one television set, six frying pans, two loud speakers, one electronic motorbike, cutlery sets, assorted soft drinks, liquor and bags of sachet water in the truck they were driving in.
Mrs Tenge said the group mentioned the acting Gborbu Wolomo as the one who had instructed them to enforce the alleged ban on commercial activities and movement of people.
She said investigations were underway to apprehend more suspects following complaints by some of the victims.
Dialogue
Mrs Tenge said the regional police command held a dialogue with the traditional council where the latter agreed to rescind its earlier decision to restrict the movement of persons, vehicles and engagement in commercial activities.
As part of the performance of the burial rites by the council, the Tema-Nungua beach road had to be closed to traffic last Saturday between 6am to 6pm.
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