Police abandon corpses at Alavanyo

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the police in the Volta Region have left Alavanyo after last Sunday’s clash which led to the death of two young men.

According to sources close to the police at Kpando, officers assigned to go and convey the two corpses to the morgue did not do so out of fear.

The officers feared that the youth of Alavanyo, particularly at Dzogbedze, where the incident happened, would stage an attack to take revenge on them.

However, the bodies were finally conveyed by the Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Teddy Ofori; the Queenmother of Alavanyo Traditional Area, Mama Ametor II; a National Security and BNI official at about 1:30pm last Monday, 15 hours after the death of the young men.

The Queenmother, Mama Ametor II, who was not happy with the situation, wondered why the police would allow the bodies of the same men they shot to death to remain at the roadside for such a long time.

Genesis

Eye-witnesses say the two men were shot last Sunday evening (January 13, 2019) after the police had sought the assistance of the chief of Alavanyo Dzogbedze to help retrieve handcuffs that had gone missing during an ‘arrest’ operation earlier in the day.

The queenmother told DAILY GUIDE that Alavanyo-Dzogbedze which is the first town from Kpando has an Indian hemp (wee) farm. Although there was a joint police and military camp at Alavanyo-Kpeme overseeing the area, a police patrol team went to the farm without the knowledge of the joint security forces overseeing the area, to undertake a ‘wee’ operation at about midday.

She alleged that the officers, who went to the farm, requested money. When the owner refused to give them money, they burnt the farm. Besides, they arrested the owner and two other guys, which infuriated the youth of the town. They then assisted the three guys who were handcuffed to escape arrest.

The police left the town only to return at about 6:00pm that same day to talk to the Commander of the Military Team at Alavanyo to assist them retrieve their handcuffs. They met the Alavanyo Dzogbedze Chief who assured them of getting their handcuffs back.

Unfortunately, when they were returning, some residents of the town hooted at them. Few moments later, gunshots were heard which led to the death of two men, while six others got injured.

The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis E. Doku, told the media last Monday morning that the six officers who went there on Sunday afternoon included officers from the SWAT unit. They went there to intercept illegal arms and not Indian hemp. He said residents attacked his officers leaving one unconscious. They freed their suspects and took an AK 47 rifle and three handcuffs.

The team reported the incident at the Kpando Divisional Police Command where another team went in the evening to retrieve the gun and the handcuffs. On returning, the team was shot at by unknown assailants from the bush and the police returned fire leading to two deaths and injuries.

Although the Regional Police Commander claimed in his interaction with the media hours before midday that his men had visited the scene and conveyed the body to the morgue, it emerged that his men did not return to the ground as directed.

DAILY GUIDE can say on authority that the corpses were conveyed at 1:30pm on Monday in the presence of the Hohoe MCE and the queenmother of Alavanyo

REGSEC Meet as Alavanyo Fumes

When this report was being filed, members of the Volta Regional Security Council (REGSEC) were in a crunch meeting at Kpando with the police and other key stakeholders.

Meanwhile, residents of Alavanyo have expressed disgust at the action of the police and are calling on the IGP, National Security Coordinator, Interior Minister and the President to order an investigation into events leading to the death of their relatives.

Mama Ametor II was not happy with the account given by the police describing it as half-truth, as there were many inconsistencies in it.