Tension at Nsuapemso, residents demand justice ahead of burial of a lynched young man

Tension mounts in Nsuapemso as residents demand justice for 28-year-old Ofosu Peter lynched by students of Osino Senior High Technical School in Fanteakwa South district in Eastern Region.

The outcry for justice intensifies ahead of Peter’s scheduled burial on March 23, 2024, amid simmering frustrations over the failure of law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators.

The tragic incident happened on February 19th when rampaging students of Osino Presby Senior High Technical School allegedly attacked Ofosu Peter, accusing him of attempting to lead an arson attack on their dormitory.

The altercation, which saw a vehicle torched, escalated from longstanding tensions between Osino SHS and Nsutem Senior High Technical School (NSUTECH) after one student of NSUTECH from the Nsuapemso community was assaulted.

Ofosu Peter, a miner, was mercilessly lynched by a mob of about 50 students, while his alleged intention to set fire to the dormitory was vehemently denied by the family and community.

According to Nana Akosua Kyerewaa (I), the Queen mother of Nsuapemso, “None of the boys thought of doing any harm to anybody because we can’t spoil Osino SHS because even this very boy who died attended Osino SHS, his father and all of them attended Osino and Nsutem secondary schools. So we just want justice because anyone they meet on the road they [students of Osino SHS] just attack the person which is why we asked the police to get much involved because that is the only road we take to Osino.”

Martin Addo, the grieving father of the deceased, expressed his determination to seek justice through both legal and traditional means, stating, “We believe in the legal justice system and we also believe in the traditional justice system. My warning is that those students who are involved should go and report themselves to the police before my son is buried else nobody should come to me later to beg. This is my schnap and Kasapreko, I will invoke a fatal curse on anyone involved and will annihilate their families.”

Isaac Kwadwo Paddy, spokesperson for the Nsuapemso youth, voiced frustration over the lack of arrests, declaring, “It’s been exactly one month since our brother was subjected to that inhumane act. Is it because we are a little bit reserved, that is why they are denying us justice? We want justice. They promised justice but up till now, we have not heard from them. When you try to engage them, they tell us we will hear from them up to now, but no feedback from police service indicating they are not ready to serve as justice so today, we want to inform the whole country that justice has become expensive. We want to see justice before we bury our brother on Saturday.”

Amidst concerns over the delay in justice, some residents warn of potential consequences if the perpetrators are not swiftly apprehended.

Some residents who gathered during the press conference said peace could only be sustained when the perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted.

They said the community will take the laws into their own hands to protect its members should the police fail to arrest the suspects.