4 Cops interdicted over Tamale residents assault
The Ghana Police Service has interdicted four police officers who assaulted some civilians in Tamale in the Northern Region for supposedly stealing power belonging to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA).
The four policemen — whose names have been withheld by the police administration — were working with the Tamale Regional Police Command.
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Their interdiction, according to the police hierarchy, took effect on Tuesday, September 21, 2021.
Three of the persons assaulted by the police officers have been identified as Alhassan Abdul Gafaru, Ibrahim Yushawu and Salifu Seidu.
A statement from the Ghana Police Service, signed by the acting Director-General of the Public Affairs Directorate, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwesi Ofori, indicated that the four officers were on an assignment with NEDCO/VRA officials to arrest persons allegedly involved in illegal power connections.
The statement said the officers would face a Service Inquiry, subject to the regulations of the Ghana Police Service.
It indicated that the police service had commenced processes to identify other victims, who were allegedly assaulted, for the necessary medical assessments and assistance.
“We apologise unconditionally to the affected persons and the general public,” it said.
Video
The incident happened at Zujung, Lamashegu and Nakpan Zou in the Northern Regional capital last Monday.
A video of the assault on the residents has since gone viral, showing a police officer whipping a civilian on his back.
Some victims have shared their supposed ordeal with the media, claiming they were whipped by the police officers, while others claimed they were handcuffed and detained.
Victims
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Timothy Yoosa Bonga, yesterday led a police team to visit the families of the three identified victims in the viral video to apologise to the families on behalf of the Police Administration.
The visit, he said, was also to interact with members of the community to also know their grievances to enable the police to serve them better.
After meeting with the families, he told journalists that the Police Administration would not condone such behaviour within the service.
He stated that policing was a shared responsibility that needed cooperation from the public to enable the police serve to them better.
The Crime Officer of the Northern Regional Police Command, Superintendent of Police Bernard Baba Ananga, later told the Daily Graphic that the victims had been contacted and given police medical forms to seek medical attention and also to assist the police with investigations into the incident.
