Buduburam chief hails swoop by police; calls for more

The Chief of Gomoa Buduburam in the Central Region has hailed the joint police-military swoop at Buduburam, near Kasoa, in which some 141 people were arrested.

Nana Kojo Essel I is urging the joint police-military not to end such exercise but make it routine to rid the area of criminals.

“The president showed he is the father of the country. We appreciate the police and military operations and it should not be a one day wonder.”

The joint police-military swoop was conducted on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

The suspects, which include 15 females, are currently undergoing screening at the Police Headquarters in Accra.

A statement issued by the police after the swoop said the move is part of measures being adopted to improve security across the country.

The statement added the exercise will be replicated in other parts of the country.

The swoop comes after a chief was murdered in the area early this week by some unknown persons.

Before the slaying of the chief, two policemen were gunned down after they attempted to stop some traffic offenders in a Toyota vehicle.

Speaking on Onua FM’s Yen Sempa on Friday, Nana Kojo Essel I said “we have been complaining about the crimes. It is serious but there is peace here”.

He said “the huts that were abandoned by the Liberians after they left have been occupied by these suspected criminals”.

Number of people killed

The Chief revealed that currently, he has pictures of 45 people who have been killed so far by these suspected criminals and most of them are taxi drivers.

“At least, 45 people have been killed. They pick taxi and when they get there, they kill the drivers and take the taxi. I have their pictures here. I can show them to you.”

He explained that whenever they perpetrate their murder, “the police come to call me then I will take the body to Winneba and if they could not find the family member, they come call me to come for the body for burial. How can I do such work?”

Logistics and human resource

Nana Essel I said police in area are not enough while they lack logistics such as vehicles for their operations.

“They don’t have police car. Whenever there is crime, we need to take taxi.”

Safe haven

He revealed that the old abandoned huts that were built by the Liberian refugees are being used by the suspected criminals who kill and torment residents day and night.

“The huts in the camp are the issue. The criminals have rented out the places and we don’t have the power because those places belong to the government or the Ghana Refugees Board,” he explained.

The Gomoa Buduburam Chief said “the huts should be demolished. They are the old buildings that were built by the Liberians. [The suspected criminals] are hidden there. They are using that place as safe haven.”

Asked where those suspected criminals came from to settle, the Chief said “they came from all walks of lives to settle there and the police are afraid. They can’t go there”.

“They came from Agbogbloshie, Nima, Maamobi, and all places to settle there and we can’t take the law into our hands and clear them. We need to respect the laws and with what happened yesterday, we have hopes they will be cleared and the place demolished”.

He said “this is not the first time such operations have taken place here but they always come back so this time, it should continue, else they will come back”.