Man drowns in attempt to escape police swoop
An early morning swoop by the Kpeshie Divisional Police Command to arrest alleged drug pedlars at the Nungua Beach in Accra ended tragically with the death of a 41-year-old taxi driver.
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The deceased, Nii Nartey Jean, who was said to be at the beach attending to the call of nature, was said to have dived into the sea when the police attempted to arrest him.
The police suspected that he was a member of the suspected drug pedlars said to be smoking marijuana at the beach.
Nii Nartey was alleged to have swam deeper into the sea after the police allegedly stoned him, but the police have denied that allegation.
During the swoop last Thursday, the police arrested 17 people, some of whom were said to be in possession of substances suspected to be marijuana.
The suspects have since been granted police enquiry bail.
Sorrow
News of the death of Nii Nartey led to tens of the Nungua Klina youth besieging the Nungua Police Station to stage a protest.
Some of the protestors ended up being arrested by the police.
The Nungua Oblantai Mantse (Development Chief), Nii Bortey Oklan Djalesane II, confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic.
He said a search party despatched by the family of the deceased to the scene of the incident was unable to retrieve the body.
He said members of the community and the family were, therefore, waiting for Nii Nartey’s body to be washed ashore.
The mood at the family house of the deceased was that of sorrow as the deceased’s wife, Madam Victoria Fosua, wailed uncontrollably while his children who were unaware of what was happening just stared at the people gathered in the house.
Family
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased are calling on the Police Administration and the Ministry of the Interior to institute a probe into the incident.
The spokesperson for the family, Mr William Freme, told the Daily Graphic that information from sources at the beach alleged that the police threw stones at Nii Nartey.
He also alleged that a reveller at the beach who attempted to rescue Nii Nartey was also arrested.
“Nii Nartey is not a criminal and did not deserve to die in that manner. Why would the police assume that everybody at the beach in the early hours of the day is there to smoke marijuana?” Mr Freme queried.
“The most annoying part is that the officers arrested people who were even at the beach to fish,” he claimed.
Police denial
The Divisional Police Commander for the area, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Victor Gyan-Kyereko, however, debunked the allegations.
“We are not so inhumane to stone a drowning man. It is unfortunate he went that way,” the commander said.