More than 72 people arrested by soldiers 

More than 72 people have been arrested and taken into custody by the soldiers who stormed Ashaiman Tuesday dawn after a mob allegedly killed a soldier – Sherif Imoro at the weekend.

According to the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, he has been informed that the soldiers took the people they arrested away.

“72 persons per the briefing given me by the Assembly member for the area” have been taken into custody by the soldiers.

“But as I speak to you the police commander just told me that 72 persons is an understatement, and that they are more than that, they [soldiers] are still arresting people when you go certain areas of the community,” Mr Norgbey said in a radio interview on Citi FM, monitored by Graphic Online.

The MP said the soldiers after the dawn operation left the area, the soldiers had left but around midday, he received a phone call that another batch of military men had trooped into the Ashaiman constituency.

“Actually I spoke to the police commander and he told me on authority that there are military guys still in the constituency, all the over the constituency molesting innocent residents,” he said. 

He said the constituents were worried about the modus operandi of the military, “because you see armoured cars, you see military vehicles, you see helicopters, which means that this thing has been sanctioned by the higher authority and so everybody is handicapped in this matter.

“So we are just calling on them to call back their men to the barracks because these people that they are molesting, they are innocent people, I’m not sure they know anything about the killing of the military guy,” the MP said.

The Ashaiman neighbourhood of Taifa was on Tuesday dawn forced into a self-imposed curfew after some soldiers reportedly stormed the area, following the alleged killing of a soldier over the weekend.

The soldier was reportedly killed by a mob in Ashaiman at the weekend.

Photos and video of the said soldier was shared on social media after the incident.

Some reports said he was attacked and stabbed by a gang. The soldier was reportedly on his way to his family home.

Soldiers reaction

On Tuesday dawn (March 7, 2023), some alleged soldiers numbering not less than 20 stormed the area.

They questioned anyone they came across and reportedly beat them up.

This forced people to lock themselves up in their homes, fearing they will be beaten up by the soldiers.

Some eyewitnesses have recounted their experience on social media.

Some said they saw the soldiers around 2am.

One person said he woke up around 4am to see that the area which was usually busy around that time with many shops opened was still very quiet.

His assumption was that it was as a result of the downpour but when he stepped out, he saw some soldiers on the stretch, there were no vehicles moving.

He saw soldiers approaching so he quickly rushed back into the house and locked the gate.

He said his brother later told him he woke up earlier and saw soldiers beating up some other people.

“My mother owns a shop by the roadside and should have been opened by now but as we speak, all shops are still closed,” he said.

He said he saw that vehicles passing by were stopped, male passengers dragged out and beaten up, “you people kill our colleague”, some of the soldiers reportedly said.

Another eyewitness said the said soldiers knocked on doors and anybody who came out allegedly received some slaps.

The Assemblyman for the area reportedly sent out a message advising residents to avoid certain routes.

He said he counted not less that 20 armed soldiers on foot, who were 

What happened with mob killing of soldier?

The incident of the mob killing of the soldier received varied reactions at the weekend.

Some had alleged that the young soldier was on his way to his home when he was attacked by a gang.

Some had alleged that he was stabbed to death by the mob.

Photos from the incident scene showed the lifeless body of the victim, who was in what seemed to be a torn trousers in military camouflage colours.

His military cap and a white cloth had been used to cover his face. Also, his bag in military camouflage colours was lying close to the body.

The Ghana Police and the Ghana Armed Forces are yet to comment on the incident.

2017 Denkyira-Obuasi incident

In 2017, a similar incident happened at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region where during a morning health walk, a military officer, Major Maxwell Mahama was killed by a mob.

Writer’s email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh