Our sons were not armed robbers, land guards – Chiefs and families of Bortianor shooting

Bereaved families of the give suspected land guards and armed robbers in an anti-robbery and land guard operation conducted at Bortianor in Accra on June 8, 2023, have called for an independent probe into the matter.

The affected families accused the Police of storming the area and killing innocent persons.

The Ghana Police Service has confirmed that five suspected land guards were shot and five weapons were recovered during an anti-robbery and land guard operation on June 8, 2023, at Bortianor in Accra.

The individuals had been terrorising residents and landowners in Bortianor and nearby communities, according to a statement signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Director of Public Affairs, Grace Ansah-Akrofi.

According to the police, as a police team approached, the suspects, who were hiding, opened fire, resulting in an exchange of fire. As a result, five suspects were injured and later pronounced dead at the hospital. The remaining suspects eluded capture and are currently on the run.

The Police said it retrieved one AK47 assault rifle, along with ten rounds of AK47 ammunition, a pump-action gun with nine rounds of BB cartridges, two pistols with ten rounds of 9mm ammunition, an unregistered Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, four motorbikes (three of which are unregistered), a knife, and a pepper spray.

However, the bereaved families have described the Police statement as a cover-up.

On Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm’s Frontline, the leader of the families, Nii Shipi Kwei Mensah III, Bortianor Shipi, stated that the Police have killed innocent people and must be investigated.

He demanded that the matter be investigated by an independent body.

He called the claims that the deceased persons were the first to fire shots at police officers “false.”

"The Police peddled lies. The young men who were killed were not armed robbers or land guards. They were initially accused, assaulted, and shot several times. The young men were relaxing at their usual spot when the police pounced and killed them. Shouldn’t they have been arrested and prosecuted if they were criminals? Why should you storm the area and murder these defenceless young men?”

He stressed, "We don’t trust the Police to conduct a credible investigation. We want an independent body to investigate the matter”.

The Mankralo, Nii Kojo Mensah I, who lost two of his children and a brother in the incident, has stated that he seeks justice.

According to him, his brother’s wife recently gave birth to twins, and his brother’s death has left them without a father.

"We want the matter looked into. I lost two of my children, as well as a brother whose wife had just given birth to twins. These young men were not armed land guard robbers. I am requesting that the matter be investigated by an independent body.”