IGP bolts as irate youth disrupt peace meeting

Violence has erupted in Asawase a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region after irate youth disrupted a meeting between the Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu, the Interior Minister, Zongo development Minister and the leadership of the Zongo youth in Asawase.

According to Ultimate FM’s Isaac Bediako Justice, the police had to fire tear gas to disperse the angry youth who have been rioting since Thursday after killing of some suspected armed robbers.

The youth, Bediako reports have blocked roads with burnt tyres and blocks making it difficult for residents to access the area.

The chaos at Asawase follows the shooting and killing of some seven suspected robbers by the Police on Tuesday. Relatives and members of the New Patriotic Party in the region have claimed the suspects were not robbers as claimed by the Police.

Residents of Asawase also claim the killings were targeted at Muslim youth in the community.

However, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander DCOP Akwasi Duku at a press briefing Wednesday parried criticism that the police unlawfully killed the suspects who were shot near Anwiankwanta in the Bekwai Municipality.

According to him, the deceased, whom police claim were believed to have killed L/Cpl Daniel Tieku attached to the SWAT unit and wounded L/Cpl Eric Nsiah, were all killed in a gun battle, fighting the police.

Addressing the media at the regional police headquarters, DCOP Duku insisted that officers do not carry out arbitrary or unlawful killings as the deceased persons were members of the armed robbery group that attacked the police officers and some passengers onboard a Sprinter bus with registration number AC 644-15.

He explained that the suspects first opened fire on the police after they ignored the signal to stop while onboard a Toyota Corolla with registration number BA 294 -15 and an unlicensed motorbike.