The youth of Nkoranza in the Bono East Region are up in arms against the Nkoranza Divisional Police Commander of the Ghana Police Service in the town over the death of one of their colleagues, Albert Donkor (Balusu). The youth took to the streets to demonstrate amidst the burning car tyres, blocked the roads in the evening during a blackout as part of their ‘Where is Albert Donkor?’ and ‘Nkoranza Youth demand Justice for Albert’ campaign. It took the Ankobeahene of the Nkoranza Traditional Council, Oheneba Agyei Baffoe, to intervene and calm the youth. The leaders of the youth of Nkoranza were later invited by some persons who claimed to have been sent to Nkoranza by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, after he was informed by the Bono East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Moses Asabagna Atibillah, of the grievances of the youth. This was followed by another meeting at the Ankobeahene’s residence, which comprised of the youth of Nkoranza, the Ankobeahene, Bono East Regional Minister, the Municipal Chief Executive, Regional Police Commander, Nkoranza Divisional Police Commander and the District Police Commander. Led by Nana Nyarko Ababio (Paa Prince) the youth presented their grievances to the aforementioned personalities. Basically, they want the whereabouts of their colleague known, and those who killed him brought to justice. The Bono East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Moses Asabagna Atibillah, apologised on behalf of the Police Service for the mistake and demise of Donkor. He appealed to the youth to remain calm as he submits his report to the IGP for the necessary action. The Bono East Regional Minister, Mr. Kwasi Adu Gyan, expressed his sympathies with the youth following the death of their colleague and pleaded with them to be patient and allow due process to work. He assured them that the authorities would do all within their means to retrieve the body of the late Donkor. BACKGROUND Albert Donkor, popularly known as Balusu, was a bulky young man and a native of Nkoranza in the Bono East Region He was a businessman who used to sell footwear in front of the MTN office opposite the Ghana Commercial Bank on the Nkoranza-Ejura road and was a resident of Kasardjan, a suburb of Nkoranza. In April this year, the late Donkor was traveling from Dromankese to Nkoranza when he encountered an armed robbery scene and spotted a policeman who he identified, during which his laptop was snatched by the robbers. On his return to Nkoranza on April 24, the late Donkor is said to have told his friends at Roof Top, a nightclub in the town off the Ejura road, that some policemen were involved in the recent robberies in Nkoranza and its environs. One of his friends blew his cover and reported him to the policemen involved in the robberies. Following that, the late Donkor was picked up from his house by some policemen at about 2am on April 25, 2022. The police told his mother to report to the police station later that morning, because her son was a suspect in a robbery case. Reports were rife that the police sent Donkor to a location on the Nkoranza-Kintampo road, where they shot him dead. Later in the morning when Donkor’s mother visited the police station, she was told her son had been sent to Techiman for further investigation. The mother followed up to the Techiman Police Headquarters, where she was told no one with the name Albert Donkor had been brought to them from Nkoranza. Reports indicated that the police kept tossing the mother for about three weeks, during which period the police allegedly sent the corpse to the Techiman Morgue, but it was rejected, since there was no family member present. The body was, therefore, returned to Kintampo where reports suggest it was being kept at a secret location. It was on May 12 that rumours circulated in Nkoranza that Donkor had been killed by the Nkoranza South Police, and that he was no more in their custody as people thought was the case. Following these rumours, the youth formed the “Justice For Albert Donkor Movement,” led by Nana Adjei Baffoe (Romeo), Ohene-Gyan Emmanuel (Diamond) and Effah Baffoe Jnr (Sketches), who released a statement seeking the whereabouts of their colleague Donkor which led to the “Where is Albert Donkor campaign.”
