Security man guns down 2yr-old mistaken as robber

A security man is said to have mistaken a two-year-old girl for an armed robber and fired first into the air as a scare tactic and later at the innocent girl, killing her instantly.

The Akyem Kwarbeng Magis­trate Court presided over by His Worship Isaac Amoah has remanded Francis Adevu,41, a security man of Net Gold Mining Company Limited at Kwarbeng in the Eastern region, for allegedly shooting a two-year-old girl to death.


The plea of the suspect was not taken and he is expected to re-appear in court on February 28, 2014.


According to the investigator, Fatawu Tanko, on February 12, 2014 at around 3pm, the deceased, Comfort Carobel accompanied her father, Job Amoah, a staff of the mining com­pany to its site.


During the weighing pro­cess of the extracted gold, the security man on duty, Francis Adevu took his pump action gun and fired into the air - a tactic al­ways done to scare potential robbers who normally invade the site dur­ing this process to steal gold.


According to the investigator, the security man during his second fir­ing allegedly shot towards the direction of a summer hut where the de­ceased and others were sitting.

It is unclear the motive for the gun shot, but witnesses say he might have mistaken the girl and the oth­ers for armed robbers, hence, the gun shot.


Sadly, the fatal bullets pierced Comfort's head and chest. Isaac Okyere, 27, a casual worker also got injured on his right hand and back.


Investigator Tanko said, the security man tried to bolt but was arrested by the Anyinam Police Command upon a tip-off.


He said the two victims were rushed to the Hawa Memorial Hos­pital at Osiem, and later referred to Koforidua Central Hospital; how­ever, Comfort Carobel was pronounced dead on arrival while Isaac Okyere was admitted and is currently receiving treatment.


The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Kibi Gov­ernment Morgue for autopsy while investigations are ongoing.