5 police officers killed by criminals; families left in tears

It is a very rare thing to hear of a major attack on any of the security services in Ghana.

Inasmuch as there are criminals in the country, taking on the police or any other security service personnel has always been a no-go area.

However, in recent years the scenario has changed, with armed robbers now having the guts to go as far as gunning down police officers.

Over the last three years, Ghana has recorded separate cases of attack on the police and military by some assailants.

In those instances, officers have been left wounded and, those not so lucky, have lost their lives in the process.

It is a sad thing to die while in line of duty, especially when the victim has a family to take care of and in many of the cases these police officers leave behind a bereaved lot.

Here are five instances when the families of police officers were left in tears after their beloved sons were killed in line of duty:

1. Kwabenya jailbreak

Ghanaians were deeply shocked after waking up to the news that a jailbreak had been engineered at the Kwabenya Police Headquarters.

The incident saw a six-man gang raid the police station and murder the officer on duty, before electing to free seven other suspects who were being detained in the cells.

The deceased police officer was later identified as Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi after his demise at the 37 Military Hospital.

Ghanaians may be mourning, but the late inspector’s wife and children are in even much more tears.

Imagine how painful it must be for his wife and five children who are now without a husband and a father respectively.



2. Drobonso Shootings

Again, just over two weeks ago, two police officers were shot dead at Drobonso in the Sekyere Afram Plains District of the Ashanti Region.

The deceased were riding through the Drobonso road but were ambushed by some suspected nomadic herdsmen, who opened fire on them.

The two were identified as Inspector Adolf Mutse, a driver and Constable Prosper Ashinyo, with another Constable Enock Okyere sustaining serious gun wounds.

Inasmuch as the family details of the deceased have not been revealed, there is no doubt that they will be grieving over these loses.

For a relative, husband or brother to taken away from his family in this manner is simply cruel.

3. Lapaz Shooting

In June 2017 a police officer was shot dead, with another seriously wounded, after armed robbers attacked them in broad day light at Lapaz in Accra.

The deceased was on community patrol duty but met his untimely death after attempting to stop the armed robbers, who were trying to escape after an operation.

However, everything went wrong for the unarmed police officer and he ended up dying after he could not defend himself.

The sad incident struck a huge blow to the family of the deceased, who revealed he was their major source of support throughout the years.

The late police officer was a brother and a husband to some people, and how much more tears can be dropped for losing him in such a way.



. Wenchiau incident

The family of Constable Edmund Kwakuvi Hokporsti were left in deep sorrow after their beloved son was shot dead on the eve of Christmas in 2016.

The late Constable was riding on a motor-bike in the Wechiau in the Wa-West District, but suspected two other men who were riding opposite to him of hiding something.

He subsequently stopped them in order to initiate a search, however, they shot at him and left him in a pool of blood.

Unfortunately, the Constable was pronounced dead at the Wechiau District Hospital by the medical authorities.

5. Policeman mistaken for armed robber

In the saddest of deaths yet, a devoted policeman in line of work was shot dead by his own colleagues on patrol after being mistaken for an armed robber.

The late Lance Corporal Robert Kumi Ackah of the Tamale Rapid Deployment Force was escorting an ‘OA’ passenger bus to the Northern region but was shot and killed on the spot by fellow policemen who thought he was a criminal.

An eyewitness said Lance Corporal Ackah was holding an AK47 rifle gun and was in mufti while escorting the bus to its destination.

However, he met his untimely death after he stepped out to check if the road was all clear for passage.

By that time a police patrol team was also approaching and they couldn’t make him out from afar, so decided to shoot at him after realizing he was holding a gun.

What cruel way to lose a police officer, more so in the hands of his own colleagues, although unintentional.