Gbi-South Youth demand justice over murder of two in 2023

Aggrieved Youth of Gbi-South in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region are demanding justice for two of their compatriots, who were allegedly shot by the police at Gbi-Godenu on August 30, 2023.

The group is also calling for compensation for families of the deceased, traders whose shops were raided as well as some youth allegedly tortured, and their motorbikes burnt.

Andy Emilson Agbi, Assemblyman for the Gbi-Wegbe Electoral Area, at a press conference to mark a year of the incident, said the remains of the deceased were still lying in the morgue.

He called on the government and duty bearers to immediately address their concerns.

Agbi said they were calling for consultation with families of the deceased concerning their funeral and burial as soon as possible and the families compensated.

He called for “compensation for traders, who lost their wares and monies, people whose cars were destroyed, motorbikes burnt as well as those tortured.”

Agbi said the police officers, who engaged in the act should be made to face the full rigours of the law and the outcome of the investigation should be made public.

He also urged the authorities to ensure that such incidents did not re-occur since the August 30 incident was the second within seven months in the area.

The assemblyman called on the youth to remain calm as law-abiding citizens and hoped their concerns would be addressed after the press conference.

Narrating the incident that led to the killing of the two men, he said the around 0830 hours on August 30, 2023, some police officers from the Hohoe Police Command chased, without any provocation, one Mr Tsetse Enyonam from Gbi-Avega towards Gbi-Godenu and knocked him down.

In the process, the police vehicle veered off the road and somersaulted into a gutter and caught fire. Tsetse was rushed to the Volta Regional Hospital, Hohoe, and later transferred to the Ho Teaching Hospital.

He said the police officers called for reinforcement and alleged that their vehicle was set ablaze by the youth of Gbi-Godenu.

Upon arrival of the team, Agbi alleged that the police went on a rampage, arresting anybody they could lay their hands on and torturing innocent civilians.

He alleged that teachers of the Gbi-Godenu M/A Basic School, who were escorting learners to get home safely, tasted the atrocities of the police.

The officers broke into people’s shops, destroyed items worth thousands of Ghana cedis, set ablaze about 48 motorbikes belonging to the residents, and shot indiscriminately, he alleged.

“The police even entered the house of the Divisional Chief of Gbi-Godenu, Togbe Osei II, and damaged his two vehicles that were parked at his garage,” Mr Agbi said.

The indiscriminate shooting, he alleged, resulted in the death of the two young men; David Agbebianu, 31, and Afeti Agbeko, 39.

He said they had also not heard anything about the Inspector General’s investigation even though a team of investigators were sent from his office to the scene a year ago.

“None of the people affected had received compensation nor any form of help from the government nor the authorities,” he said.

“The incident brings to a total of five police brutalities that had not been settled conclusively in the Volta Region, particularly Ho, Akatsi South and recently Keta.”