A man has been apprehended by the police for allegedly killing a soldier, L/Cpl Danso Michael, in front of the Kasoa Millennium City Police Command on Tuesday.
The suspect, Benlord Ababio, who doubles as a traditional ruler is reported to have, in the full view of Police personnel and civilians, discharged multiple rounds of ammunition into a Rav4 car, being occupied by the soldiers.
Information available to The Chronicle has it that a group of soldiers, including the deceased, purchased land from one Winnebo Ndego, but each time they visited the place,they met resistance from other people who also laid claim to it.
The matter was reported to the police for amicable settlement and the police were able to prevail on both parties to stay off the land, until the matter is completely dealt with.
In the afternoon of Tuesday, the soldiers had information that some people were busily working on the land, so they went there to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the information.
Truly, they met the people in their numbers working, and prevailed upon them to stop and adhere to the instruction from the police, which was ignored.
The soldiers reportedly made their way to the Millennium City Police Station nearby, but were pursued by a group of irate persons.
At the station, the soldiers were informed that the case has been taken to the Central East Regional Command, which is also in the same Millennium City.
The military men enquired and were shown the way to the Regional Police Command and just at that point, Ababio, followed by the crowd, arrived and ordered the soldiers not to move their car, but they disregarded the instruction.
Suddenly, Ababio pulled out a sidearm and without cause released a number of rounds, through the vehicle, which resulted in the death of L/Cpl Danso.
Two of his colleagues were said to have sustained injuries and were sent to the hospital for attention.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces has issued a statement to explain their side of the story. The following is the full statement;
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) regrets to announce the tragic loss of one of our soldiers in an incident attributed to an alleged land dispute at Millennium City, Kasoa, in the Central Region. On Tuesday, 30 April, 2024 at about 4:20pm in an unprovoked circumstance, the soldier was attacked and killed by one Benlord Ababio, an alleged land guard.
Our preliminary investigations indicate Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) Omar Abdul Rahman owned a half plot of land, which was in dispute at Millennium City, for which the Millennium City Police informed all parties to stay off the land until the issue was resolved.
Allegedly, L/Cpl Omar was informed that some people were working on the land. Accompanied by two of his colleagues – L/Cpl Danso Michael (Deceased) and L/Cpl Ametus Matthew, they visited the land and confirmed the information.
Omar and his colleagues stopped the people from working and proceeded to the Millennium City Police Station to report the issue.
Whilst at the Police Station, the acclaimed owner of the land arrived with 2 others, believed to be land guards, who confronted the soldiers, during which they started firing at the deceased soldier, who was going to park a vehicle at the Police Station.
The police disarmed and arrested the suspect, after realising L/Cpl Danso had been hit by the rounds fired.
The body of the deceased soldier has since been deposited at the 37 Military Hospital morgue. GAF wishes to extend its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, colleagues, friends and loved ones of the deceased soldier, even as we closely collaborate with the police to conduct further investigations.
The general public will be duly informed about the outcome of the investigations in due course. GAF condemns this unprovoked attack in no uncertain terms. We reiterate our commitment to maintaining law and order in our communities and urge all citizens to seek peaceful and lawful means to resolve land disputes and to refrain from engaging in acts of violence to prevent such tragic incidents.
Signed: E AGGREY-QUASHIE, Brigadier General Director, General Public Relations.
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