6 wanted over Ejisu riot

The Police have declared six people wanted for allegedly masterminding Friday’s riot at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, which saw the law enforcement agents firing tear gas to send away angry demonstrators who were armed with stones.

Five other people – three males and two females – that were nabbed by the police when a supposed peaceful demonstration by some people of Ejisu, especially traders, turned bloody, would be sent to court on Monday.

Chief Supt. Laar Baman, Ejisu District Police Commander, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE on Sunday, said the wanted people instigated the demonstrators to pelt the palace of Oguakuro Afranie Okesse IV, the Ejisuhene, with stones.

The police capo gave the names of three persons on the police wanted list as Kaakyire Badu, Yaw Boadu and one Yaw, all residents of Ejisu who had since Friday gone into hiding to escape arrest.

The Ejisu police didn’t have the names of the remaining wanted people, but they were hopeful that the arrest of the three who had been identified, would lead to the apprehension of the others.

Demo

Some residents of Ejisu, clad in red attire, embarked on what initially was a peaceful demonstration against the paramount chief’s decision to expand the Ejisu Market on Friday.

The demonstrators were incensed because they claimed that the piece of land on which the chief was putting up a three-storey building with stores, is where they currently trade.

The traders, who argued that the supposed expansion work on the market would deny them their source of livelihood, decided to demonstrate but some of them ended up throwing stones into the chief’s palace at the tail end of their protest march.

Oguakuro Afranie Okesse IV also insisted that he was putting up the building to house the traders who currently trade in the streets, thereby putting their lives in great danger.

Police

Chief Supt. Baman said the police were doing everything possible to get the six people, said to be leaders of the demonstration, from their hideouts to face the law.