Residents of Kubori, Yirangu, and Lunsi on Wednesday, June 22, took to the principal streets of Kubori to register their displeasure on what they described as police brutality and incessant armed robbery attacks in the Mamprugu Moaduri District of the North East Region.
The protest of the residents comes at the back of a robbery incident that occurred on May 22, 2022, where four gunmen invaded a fuel station and bolted with about GHC15,000 and mobile phones.
The residents went after the robbers and apprehended one of them while his other three accomplices escaped unhurt.
The apprehended robber was beaten up by the residents in which police were called to the scene but could not rescue him.
The robber who the residents alleged was from Fulani extraction died a few hours later after the police had visited the scene at the time he was still alive but only went away with his bag and a shirt away.
According to the residents, the body of the robber was about to decompose after it was left at the mercy of the weather for close to 24hrs without the police claiming it.
The body was later buried by the residents.
In the early hours of Saturday, June 18 at about 2 AM, armed police and military raided the two communities with about ten vehicles thus Yirangu and Lunsi, and effect an arrest of twenty-five residents including minors, and severely beat some of the residents who were hospitalized following the killing of the apprehended armed robber.
Twenty of the arrestees were later released from police custody remaining five including an 18-year-old student at Yagaba Senior High Technical School.
A press conference by the Kubori Millennium Club in collaboration with an association dubbed 'Sons and Daughters of Mamprugu Moaduri District', condemned the police brutality and the persistent robbery attacks on the residents in the District.
The PRO of Kubori Millennium Club, Seidu Damba Abdulai alias Keita, stated that the police in the District failed to rescue the robber in the hands of the irate residents after they met him alive.
"It is indeed an undeniable fact that the district police officers were called, they arrived at the scene to meet the deceased full of life, even though he had become weak after beatings. The police failed to rescue the victim in the hands of the angry youth. The robber died few hours after he was left alone by the crowd when he confessed to taking part in the robbery and mentioned the names of his gang members," he said.
"The dead body was left in the open for almost 24 hours which was now generating a health concern in these communities. The body was later buried when the police failed to come and claim it," Seidu Abdulai added.
The angry youth have given the North East Regional police commander and the regional minister 24 hours to release the other four remaining people from police custody.
"We are by this press, giving the regional police commander and regional minister up to 24 hours to release four of our brothers who are still in custody over the matter, to facilitate the effective reconciliation between indigenes and Fulanis within the District. Failure to which, we the residents of Moagduri District will advise ourselves," the statement said.
The youth in the protest stated that nine different robbery cases have been recorded in the Mamprugu Moaduri District from January to May 2022.
Irate residents of the North East region displaying placards during a protest