'Seven shot dead by police not armed robbers’
Daniel K. Kenu
Some youth of Asawase, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region, went on the rampage Wednesday, burning lorry tires and blocking the main road leading to the Manhyia Palace to protest the killing of seven of their colleagues believed to be members of the NPP vigilante group, the Delta Force, who were shot and killed by the police last week Wednesday.
The seven were allegedly mistaken by the police for members of an eight-man armed robbery gang who had earlier attacked a sprinter bus and shot dead a police officer at Ayirebikrom near Manso Nkwanta in the Amasie West District of the region.
The Ashanti regional police command said the seven, whose bodies have since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, were killed in a shootout.
They were alleged to have opened fire on the police when they attempted to attack a Chinese national.
Just when the Asawase protest was about to turn chaotic, the Manhyia Divisional Police Command arrived on the scene to restore calm.
A spokesman for the area, Alhaji Abass, told Graphic Online that two of the boys were from Asawase and the five from neighbouring Aboabo who had travelled to the Manso area to engage in political party issues and couldn’t have been involved in the alleged robbery attack.
He said news of their killing shook the community, with the youth planning reprisal attacks.
Alhaji Abass said they were prevailed upon to allow for investigation to establish the truth or otherwise of the allegation.
