The Ashaiman swoop was not revenge for the murder of Sheriff Imoro – GAF

The Director General in charge of Public Affairs for the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Eric Aggrey Quarshie, has said some residents of Ashaiman have called to commend the army for the swoop in the town following the murder of Trooper Sherrif Imoro in the area.

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting and National Public Relations and Communication Summit on Thursday, March 23, 2023, Brigadier General Quarshie said that many Ashaiman residents are happy about the steps the army took because of the challenges they have been going through at the hands of criminals.

According to him, even though the actions of some of the military personnel were excessive, the swoop was not revenge for the murder of Sheriff Imoro but a planned and coordinated exercise.

“But I just want you to know that there are a lot of people who are happy that we entered those areas in Ashaiman. Maybe if you live around that place, you will appreciate it.

“It will surprise you to know that we have received several calls from people in Ashaiman commending us for the move, and they are calling for more,” he said.

The director of public affairs added that even though the army would be taking action against the army personnel who were excessive, it did not reprimand them in public because it was not the right thing to do.

The March 7 military swoop

Dozens of military officers stormed Ashaiman in the operation that saw some soldiers entering the town in trucks, with an armoured car plus a helicopter hovering over the town.

The exercise is said to be in response to the gruesome murder of a young soldier, Trooper Sherrif Imoro, by some unidentified persons on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

Videos of the invasion shared across social media show various forms of assault being meted on residents by the rampaging officers who subjected some of the residents to severe beatings.

In a statement released in the early hours of March 8, the Ghana Armed Forces admitted authorizing the swoop, which led to the arrest of 184 people as well as the seizure of suspected illegal drugs.

In the said statement, they also acknowledged that excesses may have resulted from the swoop but failed to apologize for them or commit to conducting a probe into them.

All suspects have since been released without charge, while the police have arrested six people for their alleged roles in the death of Sherrif Imoro.

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