C'wealth Human Rights Report On The Crisis in Anloga!

.....The Report Condemns Government Action, Ga Mashie Odadao Shooting Mentioned in The Report.

COMMONWEALTH HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE (CHRI), LEGAL RESOURCES CENTRE (LRC). PRESS STATEMENT ON FACTFINDING MISSION TO ANLOGA FOLLOWING CLASHES AND MASS ARRESTS ON 1ST NOVEMBER, 2007.

Introduction

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative is a human rights organisation seeking the practical realisation of human rights in Africa. The Legal Resources Centre was established to develop human rights capacity and to link community concerns to ensure decisions take into consideration less advantaged populations.

Following reports in the media on clashes between factions in a chieftancy dispute in the Anlo traditional area of the Volta region at the Wuornygu shrine on 1st November, 2007, the CHRI and LRC, two human rights non- governmental organisations in Ghana decided to conduct a one-day fact finding to the area to ascertain the circumstances that led to the clash, possible violations of human rights that may have occurred after mass arrests conducted by the security agencies, and how the situation was affecting the socio-economic life of the communities.

The group was led by Nana Oye Lithur of CHRI and Edward Amuzu of the LRC. Brief background On Thursday, 1st November, 2007 chaos broke out in the community of Anloga, in Keta district of the Volta region following a chieftaincy dispute that led to a brutal clash between the members of the community and the police. It all started from a long-standing dispute over the installment of a new paramount chief, locally referred to as the ‘Awoamefia’, to succeed the deceased chief who died 11 years ago. Mr. Francis Nyonyo Agboada also Regent Togbui Sri III, claimed rights over the throne and publicised his plans to be installed.

This was however opposed by some clans in the community who insisted that the Regent could not be a legitimate successor to the throne since he does not belong to the ruling ‘Adzorvia’ clan. This dispute also resulted in court cases where the parties contesting the regent’s enthronement sought a court ruling to determine whether Mr. Agboada is a legitimate successor to the throne.

The court also issued an injunction, pending suit, against any installment of a chief before a final ruling on the matter was made. The intensity of the conflict between the two factions escalated when the supporters of the Regent, attempted to approach the traditional shrine to perform the cultural rituals of his installation on November 1, 2007. He was intercepted by youth from the opposing faction, who barricaded the shrine to prevent the event from taking place. The clash, which started at 12.30pm at the Wuornygu Shrine, was sparked off during a confrontation between one member from the regent’s camp who struck another member of the opposing group with a knife.

During these skirmishes a gunshot was heard in the area and the policemen guarding Mr. Agboada’s camp responded by shooting, which triggered reaction from the people. According to reports from police authorities, the people were armed with stones, which they threw at the police men. The police in retaliation fired gunshots in a bid to quell the disturbances and in the process three people including a woman and 2 men were killed while several others sustained injuries. It is also during this scuffle that the people kidnapped one of the police officers Constable Moses Deba together with his AK 47 riffle. On Friday 2nd November, 2007 reports emerged that the policeman was dead and his corpse was found dumped at the Keta lagoon but his AK 47 riffle still missing. Following this news, the police and soldiers, started a house to house arrest in the attempt to trace the people responsible for the police officer’ s death and to recover the missing weapon. On the same day, a curfew was declared by the Minister of Interior and an Executive Instrument issued restricting the carrying of arms to authorised persons.

An additional 100 policemen were deployed in the area on friday. Reports were also made that despite orders in the Executive Instrument the regent’s supporters went around masquerading as people in authority and carrying arms to intimidate their opponents.

In the random exercise, the police went house to house, breaking into peoples ’ homes vandalising property and arresting any male youth in sight; brutally beating them up with batons and gun butts and causing them to sustain severe injuries. Upon inquiring about this brutal treatment, the deputy regional commander, ACP Hamidu Mahama informed us that reasonable force had to be applied because the people were resisting arrest.

94 people were reported to be arrested and detained at Anloga police station in cells that were heavily congested. As a result, two of the suspects collapsed and were later sent to Keta hospital for immediate medical attention.

Later that day, several others were subsequently transferred to the same hospital. Keta hospital administration reported a total of 20 victims, including three police officers, who were referred to the hospital for medical attention.

74 of those who were arrested were sent to Ho Police station, the very station where the deceased police officer was attached. According to the District Chief Executive Mr Edward Kofi Ahiabor, the transfer of the suspects was necessary for security reasons. At the Ho police station however, it was also reported that the suspects were being mistreated and detained under inhuman conditions.

The team first visited Atopkor town near Anloga, to meet with the assembly man for an interview. From the onset, it was observed that the assembly man was nervous and reluctant to divulge information regarding the disturbances and how they had affected the residents. He however later confirmed that the police had visited the area and brutalised one resident, who is driver, without clear reason.

Our Observations

During our mission, we also noticed that most of the residents, especially the youth had fled the town to neighbouring communities and other areas. We were informed that some were smuggled, some swum across the lagoon, and hid at the beach area, or were ferried by canoes deep in the night across the lagoon to avoid detection by the police.

Members of the team spoke to people randomly in different parts of the town.

The general observation was that people were scared for their lives and safety. They were therefore unwilling to speak to us about events of the previous days. Most of them were afraid of retribution from the police if they talk to us. According to them, some people in the town who belong to Nyonyo’s group are going round identifying other people who are not part of their group to the police to be arrested.

On our visit, despite it being a market day, we noticed that little activity was going on. The general atmosphere was tense with a strong sense of fear and policemen patrolling the town. One woman interviewed was so scared that she requested her gate should be shut so that no one would see her being interviewed by the fact finding team.

The streets were almost deserted with few people walking around and some shops open. Some shop owners the team spoke to indicated that although their shops were opened they have kept most of their wares inside so that in case there was any disturbance, they can quickly lock up and flee. After several unsuccessful attempts to interview people, we were finally able to talk to a few of the residents.

It was extremely difficult to interview the members of community to find out what happened.

During the clash, four people lost their lives. The family of the murdered woman offered some information, the woman who was murdered, went to visit her daughter who had just delivered a baby around 9am. From visiting her daughter she went to the market to buy some items. She was going to the market when she met the police shooting indiscriminately. She decided to run to the shrine for protection since she is a trokosi of the shrine. She was just about to enter the shrine, when she was shot. She was taken to the hospital by her relative. The police were not involved in conveying the body to the hospital or subsequent arrangements. They had not contacted the family or the husband of the deceased woman to inform them of the death and circumstances. They did not know whether an autopsy or post mortem had been conducted.

The husband of the deceased woman is an old aged infirm man. The following day that is Friday morning, five policemen and two soldiers came to the house of the husband of the deceased woman with guns. They pointed the guns at him and asked him who was in the house. They bypassed him and searched the rooms in the house. The gun was still pointed at him whilst the house was searched the house.

According to a woman interviewed, on Friday morning, she was with her grandson in the house. Their house is at Lashibi – Diversion several hundred metres away from the scene of the clash. She saw him off to the uncle’s house which is almost next door. She was eating at the adjacent house when she was told that her son had been arrested. She went to the police station, but was not allowed to see her son. She saw him getting onto a bus for Ho. He had been beaten and had a cut on his head. She was not allowed to talk to him and has not seen him since.

The third woman said on Friday the police went to her father’s house, broke the front door, bedroom door and went into the bedroom. Her brothers were hiding under the bed as the police went into the bedrooms. The policemen held her sister-in law and asked her to show him where the men in the house are. She said there were no men in the house. They took the two women away to the police station. Her brothers escaped by using the beach and they have not been seen or heard of since.

One woman said they were scared, and they do not know where their husbands, brothers or sons are. They are scared because people point out other people to the police; the police arrest these people thereafter. Several persons interviewed mentioned the existence of men with ‘Awomefia task force badges’ who were going around pointing out people to be arrested. She said they are scared to go to the market to buy food, and very few people are selling foodstuffs.

Another said when the curfew was imposed they were in front of their house at 5.45pm, 15 minutes before the curfew when they were chased with guns by the police. After they entered their houses they heard someone screaming for help, but they could not go out to help the person. All their husbands and sons have scattered and they do not know where they are. Another woman said the women and children are suffering from what is happening in Anloga. She said her children are not sleeping. She said the school uniform of one of the pupils was torn by the police, and the children are scared to go to school. She said on Friday November 2, 2007, some drivers were stopped, passengers were made to walk, mates were asked to slap their drivers. Some were asked to hop up and down holding their ears. Some riding bicycles were asked to get down and carry the bicycles on their head. At the hospital the doctor in charge reported that some nurses being transported home from Keta hospital after their duty shift were harassed by the police. The police commander later came to the hospital to apologise to the hospital authorities.

We visited five houses that were empty. The doors were barred and locked, but there was nobody in the house. The N/Amable House is one such house. A headmaster of a School who was interviewed said around 12 noon on Thursday, November 2, 2007, the clash occurred and children rushed out of the school. He saw market women also running away from the market. Friday at dawn the police blocked the road. He saw men tied up with ropes and lying on the street and that was when he learnt the police were doing a house to house search. He started driving his car and the police gave some warning shots, he therefore slowed down. He said the police were armed with AK 47 rifles. He said there were road blocks mounted by the police and a house to house search was conducted by the soldiers and the police. He was called on the phone by his wife that the police were in their house and so he rushed back home. They asked his 11 year old boy questions, they asked all the men to follow them, and he refused. His wife started bleeding and the police saw it and left the compound. He says a friend in his house was arrested and he does not know where he is. Another man interviewed said he saw the whole shooting incident at the shrine. He also said the men with the ‘awomefia task force’ badges have started identifying people and these people identified were arrested by the police. He said on Sunday the Awomefia boys numbering 40 in all went around the whole community with the police , they destroyed a house and said they were looking for the murderer of the police.

Interviews at the Keta Hospital

The team also visited Keta Hospital to interview the injured victims and ascertain the extent of their injuries. At the time of our visit we interviewed four patients who were still under admission at the hospital. One of the interviewees was an 18 year old boy, who was on his way to the market to buy a shirt on the day of the incident when he was shot twice with a stray bullet on his right thigh. He also mentioned that on the day he was admitted to the hospital, he was brought along with the three deceased people who were shot during the incident. His condition, according to the supervising nurse, was still in a critical state.

Another patient who was injured during the incident stated that on the day of the clash, he did not know what had happened because he was at school. He stated that on the morning of Friday 2nd November, 2007 policemen came to his house banging his door and ordering that it should be opened it. Before he could open, the policemen broke the door and forced their way into the house. They first beat up his roommate who was in a separate room and then proceeded to the interviewee’s room and beat him up with a baton causing him severe injuries around his shoulders.

They were then taken to Anloga police station at around 6am and detained in a police cell with 22 other suspects. He stayed in the cell for around six hours until he and another suspect collapsed and were taken out to the compound. Later, he was transferred to Keta hospital where he had been admitted since Friday, 2nd November 2007.

Several other patients who were injured during the incident also testified about the maltreatment meted out to them by police officers during the mass arrests and the inhumane detention conditions under which they were kept at Anloga police station.

One respondent who works with Zoomlion said on Friday 2nd October he was in the market cleaning when the police pounced on him, beat him up and arrested him. According to him, the police did not ask him any question. He saw other people also being treated in a similar fashion. The police were armed with guns and truncheons.

At the police station when asked what his offence was, the police responded that they wanted him dead and that a police man is dead so if he dies, it is of no consequence. The police hit him on the head and abdomen with truncheons which resulted in some head and internal injuries. According to him he lost consciousness in the process and when he regained consciousness he was in hospital, a fact confirmed by some nurses at the hospital.

Asked if other people were arrested and how many, the respondent said, there were so many people but he cannot put a number to them.

Another victim had been admitted at the Keta district hospital for five days. He had already gone through his first surgery on his cheek. He said the Doctor said there was going to be a second one but he does not know the date and day.

In the interview the respondent who is a victim of the clashes explained he had gone to the durbar grounds to meet his two brothers who were already at the grounds watching what was going on. Meanwhile there were the two factions were singing and chanting. At this point in time a both clans moved towards another and the fighting broke out. The police then moved in and started using their batons to disperse the group. Stones and flying in the air. Just as he moved away from the scene a big stone was thrown at him. He had a big cut on his face and was rushed to the hospital were he received medical attention. He said just as he got to the hospital another victim came with bullets wounds on his waist. He said that the attitude of the police was not the best. They scared the group with the weapons that they had.

During our visit to the Jubilee radio station we were informed that the station was closed on Friday, November 3, 2007 for non-payment of some fees to the NCA. It is instructive that the radio was closed down a day after the clash. Education

We visited three schools, EP Church basic Schools, the L/Government school, and the Roman Catholic school and they were all closed down and the school building was locked and shut up. We were informed that Zion College, Avete Junior High School, Roman Catholic Junior High School, and Roman Catholic School were all closed down and locked up. There were no pupils, teachers or administrators on the school premises. We were informed that the schools had been closed since Thursday after the clash, when the pupils run helter skelter due to the mayhem. Two head teachers reported that they were manhandled by the police.