Punish officers in ‘disgraceful’ public fight – Aning

Security Analyst, Dr. Kwesi Aning has said all officers complicit in the scuffle that ensued between some Police officers and men from the Ghana Immigration Service must be sanctioned.

He believes their conduct in that poor spectacle gives credence of the rot in the country’s security agencies.

“Now I think this is reflective of the much bigger problem, this is not the first time uniformed security operatives of state are fighting amongst themselves and in almost all case involves personnel of the Ghana Police Service.

And this is not a matter of jurisdictional authority, because if criminals have invaded our country and they’ve been arrested, standard operative procedures are such that because we are working for the interest of the state and the Ghanaian people, the two agencies must step aside. So I’m hoping that those who took part in this disgraceful behaviour must be punished by their institutions.” Dr. Aning said in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

Some officers of the Ghana Police Service have attacked some personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and wrenched from their custody, four Nigerian aliens who had been arrested at McCarthy Hills in Accra.

The showdown occurred on Tuesday, 21 November 2018 around Sakaman in Accra, after the Immigration officers picked up the Nigerian suspects for being in Ghana illegally and also engaging in cyber fraud.

The GIS personnel led by the District Commander, Supt. Elijah Narh arrested the Nigerian suspects upon a tip-off and complaints from some neighbours at McCarthy Hills.

There were seven suspects but three of them managed to escape arrest.

As the suspects were being transported to the GIS Headquarters in Accra for investigations, a siren-blaring police Navara pickup full of armed officers with registration number GP 3693 suddenly pulled up and blocked the GIS personnel from moving any further in their vehicle at Sakaman Junction, near Odorkor.

The armed police officers who outnumbered the immigration officers wrenched the suspects from the custody of the GIS officers and drove off with them and their laptop exhibits in the full glare of the public.

One police officer in mufti reportedly pointed his gun at the Immigration Commander, who was driving one of the cars, daring him to drive off if he were a man.

The public confrontation between officers of the sister security agencies shocked passersby who watched in awe as the officers hurled verbal salvos at each other.