Fifteen suspects in the Battor rioting, shooting incident remanded

A Ho Circuit Court has remanded into Police custody 15 suspects charged for rioting with weapons that led to the death of six people.

Their pleas were not taken when they appeared in court presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor.

The suspects are billed to re-appear on January 4, 2023.

The 15 are alleged to have played roles leading to the death of some six people in the Battor-Dugame chieftaincy clash recently.

Meanwhile, Togbega Patamia Dzekley VII, the Paramount Chief of Battor Traditional Area, has appealed to the Police High Command to help save the area from the brewing chieftaincy bloodbath.

The Paramount Chief, in a petition dated December 18, this year, to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and was made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), alleged the involvement of the Zikpitor (Stool Father), Mr Korsi Hottor, who doubles as the Presiding Member of the North Tongu District Assembly, whom he said had led the insurgency, and undertaken series of media activity to foment confusion in the area.

He alledged Hottor masterminded the ransack of the Dzekley palace and stool house, where some kingmaking traditional items were stolen on November 26-27, with the names of the culprits given to the Police still walking free people.

Togbega Patamia Dzekley, also the Vice President of the Volta House of Chiefs, in the petition, claimed that the local security council headed by Mr Osborne Fenu,the District Chief Executive had dragged his feet in responding to quell the attacks, and should be sanctioned.

He said the local Police command had delayed in quelling the build-up, permitting hours of mobilisation and a gun wielding procession to ransack the traditional council.

“We therefore wish to appeal to the IGP and the Chief of Staff to relieve both the District Commander, Superintendent George Aboagye and Mr Fenu from their positions as they have shown gross incompetence and lack of professionalism that had resulted in this unfortunate loss of lives,” Togbega Patamia Dzekley stated.

“These professionals are complicit in the developments in the Battor,” he added.