Police officer who knelt and begged Axim gang leader is ‘wise’ – Ex-police capo

Retired Superintendent of Police, Peter Lanchene Toobu has lauded a police officer seen in a viral video pleading with a civilian during a standoff in a forest.

Amid some public criticisms of the act, the former senior police officer said the officer in the video acted smart by kneeling to plead with the man who has been identified as the leader of a robbery gang in the Axim area.

"One person I would really applaud is the police officer who knelt down to beg in the video. Kwame Asare is claiming that he took money from him and was attempting to arrest him after that. As to whether the officer indeed took money or not that has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau and that is to be determined,” he said.

Mr Toobu who was speaking in an interview with Neat FM monitored by GhanaWeb emphasised that the job of policing can put one in an instance where pulling a trigger to defend oneself is not an ideal solution.

“One thing about the police job is the fact that being in the uniform and wielding a gun does not make you all conquering. There are instances where even though the gun is fully loaded you will not have the braveness to pull the trigger. The one thing that gives you that braveness to shoot and kill a human is when you are doing the right thing but if you find yourself in a difficult situation where shooting can even cause a mob to attack you, use your common sense. When I saw the officer holding the gun and kneeling to beg I said he was smart,” he stated.

The viral video in question shows a gang of men confronting a group of police officers for purportedly seeking to arrest their leader.

Identified in a statement later released by the police as Kwame Ani Asare, the gang leader accused the police officers of seeking to arrest him after paying them a bribe.

Amidst threats, one of the officers is seen in the video going on his knees to plead with the gang leader.

The Ghana Police Service said it received a report on March 28, 2023, that a group of officers from the Axim Police Command had been attacked by the gang in question.

The police stated that it conducted an operation which has led to the arrest of four members of the gang while the leader, Kwame Ani remains at large and on their wanted list.

However speaking to some media houses from a hideout, the gang leader said he was no robber but an informant who has been collecting money from small scale miners and delivering to the police.

According to him, the attempt by the police to arrest him is on the back of his refusal to hand over some GH ₵100,000.00 he had collected from a galamsey site to the police.

He noted that the refusal to hand over the money is a result of the police cheating him out in various previous deals.

But speaking in the interview with Neat FM, Peter Toobu Lenchene who is now the Member of Parliament for Wa West maintained that the officer was smart in begging the gang members.

“When you look at the environment, they were surrounded by guys who are into galamsey and I always say that galamsey is a violent business. You can go and never return; the pit can swallow you up and so people who are into galamsey do not fear guns or death,” he stated.

“Don’t ever play a hero if you find yourself in a situation where your strength and knowledge cannot help you. That is a very smart to do and proves that you are a better security person,” the MP added.

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