The Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area and President of the Gbi Traditional Council, Togbega Gabusu VII, has appealed to President Akufo-Addo, as a matter of urgency, to constitute an independent committee to conduct inquiries into police brutality that led to the deaths of innocent citizens over the years.
Togbega Gabusu said the outcome of the committee’s report should be made available to the Gbi Traditional Council within 90 days as a way of sympathising with the traditional area and the families of the victims.
The Paramount Chief made the appeal at a press conference held at Hohoe on unprofessional police conducts in the area, which resulted in the use of excessive force that led to the deaths of innocent citizens.
He said the security agency had the mandate to protect lives and property, but it was sad to note that the police in recent times had compromised that position and resorted to brutalising the very people they were to protect at Gbi-Wegbe, Kledzo, Atabu and Godenu.
Togbega Gabusu stressed that police attacks on residents had become more frequent, and had assumed high proportions leading to assault, intimidation, mayhem, and outright murder.
According to the Paramount Chief, the police acted with impunity, because cases that made them to apply excessive force were not investigated for the culprits to be prosecuted, but rather decided to take the law they were supposed to enforce into their hands.
Togbega Gabusu made reference to November 2022, where the police shot and killed a taxi driver who was citizen of Gbi-Wegbe and a press conference was held by the chiefs and appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to constitute an independent committee to investigate the issue, but failed to do so and the police involved were left to go without being punished.
He said on August 20th 2023, Mr. Agbeko Afeti and Mr. David Agbemenu were brutalised by the police leading to their death, with one person in critical condition and admitted at the Ho Teaching Hospital where he was receiving medical attention.
He continued that some of the youth at Godenu suffered gunshot wounds and were treated at the Wegbe Clinic, while 12 innocent persons were arrested in their homes.
Togbega Gabusu continued that the recent mayhem started when a police pick-up with 5 personnel chased a motorbike rider, knocked him into the gutter, and picked him to the Hohoe Hospital as the victim was unconscious, while reinforcement was called only to see that the police vehicle was burning.
Togbega Gabusu said angered by this development, the police also went ahead and burnt 41 motorbikes at Godenu, burnt one tractor, and destroyed shops in the town.
