Soldiers allegedly attack residents at Sowutuom

Residents of Landing Hill area, near Sowutuom in the Ga Central Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have accused six soldiers of molesting five women, including a nursing mother and a woman who is four months pregnant when they allegedly raided the area Sunday night.

The women claimed that the soldiers asked them to go naked while they inserted their fingers into their private parts under the guise of conducting body search on them.

The residents, numbering about 20, alleged that the soldiers stormed the area on the orders of one Darko, a resident of the area, and accused them of harbouring a thief.

Madam Abigail Amewu Sika, a hairdresser and one of the victims, narrated to DAILY GUIDE that the incident occurred at about 11:23 pm Sunday when they were fast asleep.

“We live in wooden structures with our husbands behind the wall of Mr Darko and we have been living there for the past 14 years,” she indicated.

On Sunday, September 3, 2017, Madam Amewu Sika said she was in her room sleeping together with her husband who is a driver, when the soldiers broke the door of their wooden structure and ordered them to come out.

“One of the soldiers, who was holding a gun, pulled my husband out first while I looked for a dress to wear before moving out.

“When I got out, I saw some of my neigbours also out with their husbands – including Madam Grace who delivered two weeks ago – holding her baby in her arms,” Sika said.

She said the soldiers asked them to point out the thief amongst them (residents) who purportedly scaled the wall of Mr Darko, but since they could not tell the soldiers the culprit, the men were brutally assaulted.

“The soldiers then asked the men to kneel down and raise their hands up while we, the women were asked to lie on the ground for them to conduct a body search on us,” she narrated further.

Madam Abigail Sika alleged that the soldiers subjected only the ladies to the body search by fondling their breasts and inserted their fingers in their private parts.

She noted that her husband attempted to retaliate when it got to her turn, but one of the soldiers pointed a gun at him and screamed, “We soldiers don’t waste food but waste humans, so if you fool I will waste your life.”

She added that her husband had to succumb and allow them to molest me while he looked on.

Mary Amuzu, the nursing mother, also confirmed that she was compelled to stay outside with her two-week-old baby for close to an hour by the angry-looking soldiers.

She claimed that her baby was sick and needed medical attention after staying outside with the child at that unholy hour.

Meanwhile, Frank Amankwa, one of the male victims, also told the paper that he and another victim known in the area as Osei were severely assaulted by the soldiers.

Mr Amankwa said upon hearing that the soldiers committed the act on the orders of Mr Darko, they stormed his house to confront him but his wife rather rained insults on them and ordered them out of her compound.

“Mr Darko’s wife confirmed that they invited the soldiers to come over to beat them up and if they misbehave she would call the soldiers to come over for the second time,” he alleged.

“A Police Inspector living in the area was the only person who came to our rescue and urged us to stay calm while he delved into the case.

“He later told us to calm down and that he would talk to Mr Darko to compensate us,” Amankwa alleged.

He averred that later Mr Darko, a clearing agent, allegedly gave all the victims an amount of GH¢150 to seek medical care.

The matter has since been reported to the Sowutuom Police for investigations.