Some irate youth in Karaga in the Northern Region, believed to be sympathizers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have reportedly invaded a police station, and freed some NPP members who were in police custody.
A Citi News source who was close to the scene, said the youth acted in that manner because the District Chief Executive of Karaga, Alhassan Yabdoo, allegedly caused the arrest of some NPP communicators.
NPP youth revolts against Karaga DCE
Meanwhile, when citifmonline.com contacted the police in the Northern Region, they confirmed that the youth were on rampage, but could not specifically confirm reports that they stormed the police station to free their colleagues.
The Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Police Command, ASP Mohammed Tanko, in an interview with citifmonline.com, said his outfit has not yet been briefed on the matter with regards to the suspects that were allegedly set free.
“I have not confirmed to you that some people were freed from the police cells…Our commander there has not yet briefed us on that,” he said.
But he confirmed that the irate youth locked up some offices of the district assembly.
“There was a problem in Karaga between the DCE and a section of the youth, and the report that we received indicated that, the youth went on rampage and locked offices of the district assembly. The police men there tried to contain the situation, but it was very difficult looking at the number of people who were rampaging against the number of policemen there. We have sent reinforcement from Tamale to augment their efforts.”
ASP Tanko said the police have currently been able to secure both the police station in Karaga as well as the district Assembly.
He said the DCE is also safe and currently in Tamale, the regional capital.
“What we are doing now is not to arrest. We are trying to secure the police station and also the district assembly premises to ensure that state property is not lost, and also we don’t lose life. Subsequently, we will go after the perpetrators and arrest them. As I speak now, the DCE is very safe, he is in Tamale right now, he is with the crime officer writing his statement and trying to identify the persons so that we can get him arrested,” the police PRO added.
Angry NPP youth at Karaga lock out office of DCE
This is not the first time the youth have revolted against the DCE for Karaga.
They took a similar action in August 2017.
The action of the youth at the time, was as a result of a disagreement between the DCE, who, until his appointment, was the constituency secretary of the NPP, and the NPP constituency chairman, who was suspended during the 2016 electioneering but had since been reinstated.
Delta Force members vandalize court, set colleagues free
There have been several instances in the past where vigilante groups affiliated to political parties have taken the law into their own hands and vandalized state properties.
In April 2017, some members of pro-New Patriotic Party vigilante group, Delta Force, stormed a Kumasi court and set free their colleagues who were arraigned after they assaulted the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Mr. George Adjei.
They court raiders were eventually freed for supposed lack of evidence to try them. Those who assaulted the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, were only sentenced to a fine of Ghc1,800 each, after they were charged for rioting.
They were also made to sign a bond of good behaviour for twelve months.
Some civil society groups and several Ghanaians have largely condemned sentence as being too lenient, suggesting the ruling party worked behind the scenes to protect the suspects.
Source: citifmonline.com
