Information reaching Daily Guide newspaper indicates that the murdered Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, told the police about the people who actually attacked him before he passed on at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital on Thursday.
Adams, who was bathed with concentrated acid on Wednesday night leading to his death at the hospital,
was buried in line with Islamic rites on Saturday. According to sources, Adams mentioned the people who attacked him as Gregory Afoko, the junior brother of Paul Afoko, NPP National Chairman and Azabiga, who is now on the run.
Police say they are on the heels of the second suspect after Gregory was arrested and brought to the police headquarters in Accra for investigations.
The Afoko family has ruled out the involvement of their relative – Gregory – in the assassination of the NPP regional chairman.
According to police sources, after the acid attack, Adams drove to the hospital and sent for the police who came to take his statement and mentioned Gregory and the runaway suspect as the people who poured the acid on him.
“Adams struggled to drive to the hospital, but with one eye shut due to the acid. Adams was clear about the people who attacked him,” the sources told Daily Guide.
Some leadership of the NPP, led by the vice presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, arrived in Bolgatanga, the regional capital, to commiserate with the family of the fallen party stalwart.
Other members of the delegation include Freddie Blay, First Vice Chairman; Western, Central and Northern Regional chairmen as well as a number of MPs from the north and other high-profile party chieftains like IC Quaye and Rasheed Bawa, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The National Chairman, Paul Afoko and the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong, were nowhere to be found.
Other party gurus, including the flagbearer – who cut short his European tour – Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, also attended the funeral.
Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Thomas Agbanyo, has called on the public to trust the police as being capable of investigating what led to the attack and subsequent death of Adams Mahama, as well as bringing the perpetrators of the crime to book.
He said the police see the incident as a crime and would handle it as such to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book and justice served the bereaved family.
“This is not just a political party matter; it is a crime. Someone has been killed and we will leave no stone unturned in our investigations into the case,” he added.
Asked about the outcome of the postmortem conducted by Dr Lawrence Adusi at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, ASP Agbanyo said the police were yet to receive the report at the time of the interview.
A family spokesperson, Muazu Issaka, has announced that the family had agreed to bury the late Mahama on Saturday, following a request by the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who wanted to witness the burial.
Daily Guide confirmed that the youth of the party in the area had banned some regional executives of the party from attending the burial and funeral rites of the late Adams Mahama.
The executives are the Regional Organiser, Jerry Asamani; the 1st Vice Chairman, Osman Kunkunaba; the Regional Women Organiser, Florence Sampokabila and the Regional Nasara Coordinator, Mba Siita.
Daily Guide gathered that some national executives had been informed of the decision of the youth, but efforts to get a confirmation from them proved futile.
The Bolgatanga Municipality has been generally peaceful as police personnel have been stationed at vantage points to protect lives and property. There is also police protection for some regional executives.
