Angry Wa youth demonstrate against police

Some angry youth of Wa Municipality on Monday, hit the streets of the town to register their displeasure over the conduct of police in the area.

They claim they are being harassed by the police for not using crash helmets and use of unregistered motorbikes an offence they indicate the police themselves are guilty of.

According to leaders of the demonstrators, the police must enforce the laws fairly in the discharge of their duties and not favour others.

It would be recalled that on Saturday night an unidentified trigger-happy police officer shot a pillion rider on allegations of using an unregistered motorbike in the night.

Colleagues of the victim in retaliation burnt lorry tyres and mounted road blocks threatening to faceoff with the police in equal measure but for the timely intervention of, the regional minister, senior security officials and opinion leaders within the Upper West regional capital.

The victim Ali Rashid, who was treated and discharged from the Wa Regional Hospital, was alleged to be riding a motorbike without a registration number.

According to an eye witness, the victim who was with his brother got to the main traffic light in Wa where the two uniformed police officers also on another motorbike tried to remove the key of the victim’s motorbike. The victim who was a pillion rider exhibited some resistance and shoved away the hand of the police officer preventing him from taking the key and got down to plead with them.

Upon getting down, the officer in question starting beating him without any question, the residents tried to intervene but one of the officers who was armed with a fully loaded Ak47 assault rifle thought the residents were getting closer to lynch him and therefore pulled the trigger injuring Rashid.

The other officer who was with him expressed dismay at the conduct of his colleague which drew the attention of a mob who nearly lynched him but for the timely intervention of a reinforcement that was immediately deployed to the scene.

Addressing the media the Upper West Regional Minister Alhassan Suleiman promised that due process will be taken to see to the end of the case and called on the residents to stay calm in the wake of escalating tension.