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Inhabitants of Dadease in the Sekyere Kumawu District of the Ashanti Region are calling on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take drastic measures to prevent the maltreatment of residents by police officers in the area.
This comes after a police officer was seen in a viral video tying a belt around the neck of a suspect and dragging him on the floor in an attempt to arrest him on July 26, 2023.
Following the widespread condemnation of the incident, the police administration says the said officer has been detained and interdicted, and the family of the victim has been assured by the IGP of a thorough investigation.
The residents in the area insist that this is not an isolated case, as they have raised concerns about police officers in the area manhandling them, and they want the IGP to pay critical attention to the situation.
One resident, who gave his name as Kwabena Appiah, said, “The police claim that most of the guys in the area sell weed, so they are suspects. They will arrest you and beat you mercilessly. This has been happening for a very long time, and it is very condemnable.”
“They can take GHS500 and GHS1000. This attitude of police officers in this area is a bad one. The police are supposed to liaise with residents and safeguard them, not oppress and harass them. We are therefore calling on the government to see to the end of this.”
Another resident said, “I have witnessed them beating a guy with a cane to the extent that he excreted. They just arrest people for unnecessary reasons. They keep doing what is not needful, so we want them changed.”
The family of the victim is calling for compensation, as they believe that the treatment meted out to him could have severe health implications.
The mother of the victim, Afia Owusuaa, told Citi News, “I travelled three days ago, so upon my return, I was informed that the police had arrested my son. I decided to wait and go bail him the following day, but someone came in to show me the video of what had been done to the child. And I also got to know that when they got to the station too, they hanged him. So I informed my uncle, who insisted that we stay back and not go to the station.”
“But around 7pm yesterday, high-ranking police officers came in to speak with us and admitted that how the boy was manhandled was wrong, so the officer would be dealt with accordingly. They also assured that the IGP would call the following day, which he did.”
Ms. Owusuaa said her son was alleged to have stolen some iron rods and a car battery, but he had admitted to taking the iron rods.
She said the police had to compensate him with some money and a job to ensure that he did not take what was not his again.
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