Confusion over policeman's 'wee' farm led to Alavanyo clash – Youth allege

The Association of Alavanyo Youth on Thursday led a team of journalists to some Marijuana farms that they allege led to the shootout in Alavanyo Dzogbdze in which three people were killed, leaving six others injured last week.

The Youth Association alleged that a police officer in Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region contracted some youth of Alavanyo to cultivate the Marijuana for him through his younger brother, one Stephen Awaner, who owed some youth of Alavanyo some money from previous deals.

The youth then allegedly sold some of the Marijuana belonging to the said police officer to defray the debt owed by his brother, an act which infuriated the said officer.

“A Police officer in Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region gave his brother one Stephen Awaner an amount of Ghc 20,000 to cultivate wee for him at Alavanyo – Dzogbedze. The brother who already owed some of the youth in the business had to pay his balance to them but was hesitant.”

“So the boys harvested 15 sticks of marijuana [Amnesia Haze breed] to compensate for their balance. After the actual harvest was made and the Policeman’s part was sent to him, he wasn’t happy that he made loses on his investment so had to call in the Regional Police Commander DCOP Francis Doku to arrest the boys who harvested the 15 sticks to compensate for their money owed them by the Policeman’s brother” the Youth Association noted in a statement read on their behalf by Mathias Apoenchi.

Contrary to claims made by the Volta Regional Police commander, DCOP Francis Ebenezer Doku in a series of press encounters after the shooting incident in Alavanyo Dzogbedze, the youth say they have audio visual evidence in their possession which indicates that the clash had nothing to do with the tracing of a stockpile of arms as was purported by the Volta Regional Police command, but one of a business deal gone bad.

“Evidence available to us points to the fact that the clash has no relationship whatsoever to any arms as reported by the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Doku…..We would want to state that the recent confusion which has led to three people losing their lives is as a result of some illegal business being transacted in the area by some security officials who felt cheated along the way hence the venting of their anger on innocent youth in the town. It’s very painful and heart piercing that while we are enjoying our little peace which we have been working hard for, a greedy and a corrupt Police Commander with his irresistible appetite to make money will sacrifice our peace for money and draw us backward” the statement read.

Stating their version of what transpired on Sunday [January 13, 2019], the youth association said; “Due to the Ashiaman Police officer and DCOP Francis Doku’s greed, they came to Alavanyo Dzogbedze on Sunday 13th January to destroy other people’s farm just because they made loses in their investment. They had burnt the farms including a maize farm.

“There is pictorial evidence and even if you want, we can lead you to the farm. When going to the bush, they had camouflaged the Ashiaman Policeman’s brother in an army uniform. This angered the youth in the farm and a scuffle ensued resulting in the arrest of two of the boys.”

Whilst this was happening, another group of guys who did not comprehend what the Police vehicle with number GP 4487 was doing at the outskirts of the town as assailants who always carry out shooting in the area mostly disguise themselves in army and Police apparel, approached the driver to interrogate him.

The driver couldn’t give any clear explanation or show his identity card. His helmet and two handcuffs were seized from him and brought to the Chief’s Palace for interrogation.

Whilst DCOP Francis Doku and his team were coming out from the bush, the two boys in handcuffs escaped from them. Reaching the chief’s palace, they framed a case of coming to arrest people having ammunition and that the boys they arrested have made away with their handcuffs and an AK-47.

The Chief of Dzogbedze, Togbe Petekuatsi V, who expressed displeasure at the Police’s entry into his community to effect arrests without his knowledge, knowing the volatile nature of the area, promised to help the police to find their belongings.

Later in the evening, a reinforced Joint Police-Military force under the leadership of ASP Asifri who is in charge of the Alavanyo Nkunya Peace Keeping unit stationed in Nkunya, returned to Alavanyo Dzogbedze to meet with the chief, but rejected seats offered to him and his men, and complained about the conduct of the towns folk who were hooting at them.

The officers while starting their vehicles shot into the crowd indiscriminately and killed Atta Kofi who was recovering from malaria and had only walked to the roadside to buy Banku, and Confidence who is a native of Anfoega Wodemaxe on the street of Dzogbedze and injured six more”.

When Citi News contacted the Volta Regional Police Command for a response to the allegations leveled against them, DCOP Doku denied the allegations and said he’ll address them at a later date.

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By : Benjamin Aklama | citinewsroom.com | Ghana

Source: citifmonline.com