Man assaulted by mob in bid to stall him chief

Accra, June 29, GNA- Mr Percy Amoah Gogoe, a 38- year old man, was assaulted by a mob at La, a suburb of Accra on Sunday, in a bid to install him as the Chief Fisherman of Nii Badu We (family). Mr Gogoe, National Co-ordinator of Hopscotch and Partners, an international non-governmental organisation, said a family elder lured him to the mob numbering about 25 at about 1830 hours, who beat him up and dragged him into a taxi and drove him to his family house, four kilometres away.

He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview, that when the mob including a group of family elders, took him to the house, they held his legs and throat to the ground and slaughtered a cock and sheep and forced him to drink the blood and smeared his body with it. Mr Gogoe said he was later confined to a small room with little ventilation for the necessary traditional rites to be performed to succeed the late Nii Gogoe Mensah II.

He said he managed to use a wooden structure to break loose but was restrained by the machete wielding mob, who promised to kill him if he tried to escape.

He said out of desperation he carved a hole in the roof and took refuge on top of the building.

"Immediately I got there, they started petering me with stones and I had to call the police to come to my aid. I was told by personnel of the La Police Station that they came to the scene but were persuaded that it was purely a traditional exercise."

Mr Gogoe said at about 0100 hours some friends managed to smuggle a double barrel gun to him, which he used to threaten the crowd and managed to escape through a safe haven.

When the GNA contacted the La Police, they confirmed the story and said they are investigating the case to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators. Meanwhile Mr Gogoe who suffered bruises all over his body was given a medical form to fill.