Soldiers have shot dead two protestors and injured four others during a protest demanding justice for the killing of an activist, Ibrahim Mohammed, alias Kaaka. 45-year-old Kaaka was attacked in his home early Friday last week. The assailants were believed to have attacked Kaaka for his activism. Kaaka regularly brings to the fore issues about sanitation, poor roads, and unemployment on his social media pages. The assailants inflicted wounds on Kaaka, who died from his wounds days after being admitted to hospital. Kaaka’s attack resulting in his death from his wounds is believed to be politically motivated.
His death sparked a protest in Ejura a town in the Ashanti RegionTuesday morning, June 29. A team of police and military dispatched to quell the protest were seen in videos posted on social media shooting live bullets at the protestors leading to the deaths and injury.
Soon after the incidents, the Ghana Police Service issued a statement describing the situation as a clash between the police and protestors and said some of the protestors were carrying guns and machetes and had attacked the security team, but the videos scene on social media showed that there was no clash at all, only soldiers shooting live bullets at protestors.
Reporters covering the protest contradicted the claim by the police that some protestors carried arms and machetes and attacked security people. They said, while on the scene covering the protests, they did not see any protestor carrying arms.
The incident in Ejura is just another one of many, in which police and military shot and kill unarmed citizens. There are unresolved killings of citizens on voting day, December 7, 2020. Eight people were reported shot dead on that day, but there is no indication so far that anyone would be held to account.
Ghana, a country that has reputation as the beacon of democracy in Africa, appears to be descending into lawlessness and chaos, particularly, there is growing impunity from the political class who blatantly break traffic laws, COVID-19 restrictions and abuse citizens without any repercussion.
The police has also consistently denied citizens the right to protest – a constitutionally guaranteed right, often using the courts and in cases where the courts have granted protestors the permission to assemble, the police has continued to prevent the people from assembling and protesting.
It is left to be seen if there would be any action by the state on the killings in Ejura.
By our reporters
The post Ghana security kills two, injures four during protests over death of activist appeared first on Ghana Business News.
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