Gun-toting young men threaten to sue media houses over viral video

The gun-wielding youngmen sighted in a viral video and linked to Jamestown robbery last Monday have threatened to sue some media outlets for defamation.

In an exclusive interview on Akoma FM‘s current affairs and political show GhanAkoma Thursday, June 17, one of the ‘suspects’, who gave his name as Bebe, explained that “our video was recorded in October 2020 at a galamsey site, so it has nothing to do with robbery. Those tarnishing our names must prepare because we will sue them and ensure we are exonerated”.

Police officer Emmanuel Osei and a hawker, Afua Badu, were killed in Monday’s attack by group of armed robbers who trailed a bullion van in a taxi and on motorbike, intersected the moving bullion van, and opened fire indiscriminately killing the two instantly.

Few hours later, a video of some young men wielding guns and flaunting money emerged on social media as some people claimed the individuals in the viral videos were the robbers.

But the young men in the video have denied the allegations as they invoke curses on perpetrators who have been circulating the video in their quest to state their innocence.

Mother of Bebe Hajia Kadija has also had his fair share of the victimization as she explained people have been pointing fingers at her whenever she steps out.

“Since the video went viral, the stigma has been enormous. I can’t even step out, anytime I go to the market people will be calling me names that: see the mother of the armed robbers and I’ve not been able to eat or sleep because the stigma is getting out of hands.

“We will sue those media houses who didn’t do due diligence and went ahead and tarnished my family’s image,” she threatened.

Assemblymember for Gawusu East Electoral Area in Obuasi Tahiru Dawuda, who also joined the discussion via phone, explained the young men in question have been living in his area and they have no criminal records.

He further told host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “those young men are not armed robbers because I know them and they have lived in my area for some years so those allegations are neither here nor there”.

Although the young men together with their family are bent on dragging some media houses to the court for defamation, they have been in the media for bad reasons because of the flaunting of guns and money.

Bebe, one of the victims, admitted their mistake was exposing guns on social media as “so we have learnt our lessons”.