Death of 2 in Tema Manhean shooting incident: Families demand justice
Families of the two persons who allegedly died from gunshot wounds at Tema Manhean last Friday have called for justice in the matter.
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Joseph Adjei Adjetey, 22, and Christopher Amu, 38, were among a group of young people who were on a street procession as part of this year’s Kpelejoo Festival in the area when a misunderstanding ensued between the celebrants and some Navy personnel on duty at the Eastern Naval Command.
A vehicle belonging to the Navy was alleged to have tried meandering its way through the procession when the youth banged on it, resulting in damages to the said vehicle. In the ensuing fracas between the youth and the ratings, the two were killed from alleged gunshot wounds.
Trauma
The father of one of the deceased, Nii Adjetey, described the occurrence as traumatising for him and his family. He said the Navy should be held accountable for the excessive force they used on the young men and questioned why as a people, they could not be allowed to celebrate their traditional festivals, customs and practices in peace.
Nii Adjetey appealed to the Tema Metropolitan Security Council to investigate the death of his son and bring the perpetrators to book. A brother of Joseph, Ago Adjetey, told the Daily Graphic that he and his brother left home that fateful Friday to take part in the procession.
He said he (Ago) returned home later that evening only to receive calls that his brother had been shot. “My brother did not fight anybody. We want justice, justice must be served. Those who fired the shots must be fished out and prosecuted,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Tema Youth Association (TYA) have also condemned what they termed as “an act of brutality” on the part of the Navy. The General Secretary of the TYA, Marcus Larbie, in a statement said as a community, they stood united in their quest for justice and accountability and urged all stakeholders, including the government and civil society organisations to join in efforts to seek justice for the victims.
In a related development, some traditional priests and priestesses of Tema Manhean, with support from the Tema Traditional Council, have visited the scene of the shooting to perform some purification rites and invoked their deity to punish the perpetrators.
Response
In their response, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) explained that the celebrants caused damage to a vehicle belonging to the Eastern Naval Command. It said three naval persons on board who sustained injuries received treatment at the Tema Naval Base Medical Centre, while three suspects involved in the initial attack were later apprehended by the soldiers and handed over to the Tema Newtown District Police.
The GAF said the youth returned to pelt stones and other objects at the Naval Base to free their colleagues. It said in their bid to protect sensitive installations, warning shots were fired.
The statement said the GAF later received reports that two persons who were brought to the Tema General Hospital had died. It added that another attack occurred last Saturday at the Tema Naval Base and the Biekro Barracks in Tema Newtown resulting in damage to property
The GAF said it had launched an investigation into the incident in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service.
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