Police Detain NDC Regional Chairman

The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Collins Dauda was last Thursday, detained at the Police CID headquarters for parking his private car opposite the President’s residence at Airport. He was also accused of engaging in a conversation with a member of the security team guarding the President, Chief Inspector Oduro.

Mr Dauda who is a former Member of Parliament for Asutifi South Constituency was picked up at about 10.30 pm on Thursday November 27 at his Baatsona, Accra residence with a provisional charge of causing a security scare around the residence of the President.

He was then taken to the CID headquarters where the CID boss, David Asante Apeatu interrogated him for close to an hour about his mission to the President’s house.

According to Alhaji Dauda, he went to President’s house in the company of Chief Inspector Oduro’s estranged wife, Pat to have discussions with the former who happened to be his next door neighbour at Baatsona.

He explained that his children attend the same school with Chief Inspector Oduro’s children and he sometimes pick them home from school. However, he realized that Oduro’s children left school earlier than expected these days. He therefore enquired from Pat who explained that the children had been sacked from school for non-payment of fees.

Alhaji Dauda said based on the mutual respect existing between the two families, Pat pleaded with him to accompany her to Oduro’s house to impress upon him to pay the fees. They however met Oduro’s absence and were told he was on duty.

Alhaji Dauda said Pat persuaded him to accompany her to Oduro’s duty post since he (Dauda) was traveling to the Brong Ahafo region the following day. They therefore went to the President’s house at about 7pm, but he parked his car a few metres from the main gate, where other cars had also parked.

The NDC Regional Chairman said he sat in his car, while Pat got down and went to call Oduro. After talking to Oduro for about five minutes, still standing by his car, he left. The two men promised to continue the discussions. It was about three hours later that he was picked up by the police and detained. Oduro was also interrogated.

Alhaji Dauda explained that he was taken out of cells the following day and taken to the spot where he parked his car. He was then taken to his house where a thorough search was conducted for weapons. But the police found none.

In an interview with JOY FM, the CID Boss, Asante Apeatu justified the detention of Alhaji Dauda and Oduro. He explained that Dauda’s visit to the President’s house posed a security threat and the police therefore had to interrogate the two men to know what their discussions centered on.