Acting IGP directed to arm all police officers with immediate effect

Interior Minister Ambrose Dery has directed the Inspector General of Police Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh to immediately arm all police personnel at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTDU) following the gruesome murder of two officers at Kasoa on Wednesday.

The Minister made the pronouncement when he visited the family of deceased Sargent Michael Dzamasi Thursday.

He indicated the IGP has also been tasked to provide officers of the service with bulletproof vests and other logistics to enable them to exercise their right of self-defence in difficult circumstances.

In his view, if the two gallant officers Lance Corporal Awal Mohammed and Sargent Dzamasi were well-armed, they would have survived.

According to him, the president and police council will put in place measures to enhance the work of the police and prevent them from dangers such as the recent killings of some 5 officers in a matter of 30 days.

He said no individual would be allowed to make Ghana unsafe because the law will deal with barbaric and lawless criminals.

On his part, the IGP Mr. Oppong-Boanuh assured Ghanaians that whatever it will take to make communities across the country safe, the police will do it.

He appealed to Ghanaians to help the police to smoke the criminals out.

"All we require is your cooperation. The criminals live with us in our communities, we know where they stay and so do let us know so we smoke them out,’’ he added.

He further assured police officers of their protection from dangers associated with their work.

In a related development, the Ghana Police Service has taken delivery of some 4,500 bulletproof vests for patrol officers.

This is to help protect the officers who have come under increasing attacks in the line of duty resulting, sometimes, in death

On Thursday some unidentified robbers have shot dead two police officers at Kasoa Budumburam in the Central region.

One of them died on the spot while the other passed away while receiving critical attention at a hospital. The names of the deceased officers with the Kasoa Divisional Command are yet to be confirmed.

Investigations have commenced into the incident.

The Service has also confirmed the arrest of three persons suspected to be involved in the murder of two officers at Aplaku near Kasoa on Wednesday afternoon.

The vehicle used in committing the crime, an unregistered Toyota Camry has also been retrieved together with some relevant items, an update from the police said.