Using live bullets to disperse crowd unwarranted – Security Analyst

• A security analyst has said the use of live bullet to disperse crowds was wrong

• Adib Saani avers that there are other options like using hot water or tear gas

• He also added his voice for a thorough investigation into the decision to use live bullets

Security Analyst, Adib Saani has stated that the approach used by security personnel to disperse protestors in Ejura on Tuesday June 29, 2021, was a wrong and misplaced one.

He attributed the move to the commander on duty losing control of his men in handling the crowd.

He said the police should also be blamed for what happened and not only the military since they are in charge of deploying officers to handle such crowds.

Mr Saani further stated that there are layers to follow in handling such situations but the police lost control of those layers and that resulted in the killing of innocent Ghanaians.

“The police by default seems to have lost control of the situation. It is so unfortunate and it is important for investigations to be conducted so we get know how and the circumstances surrounding how the military had to take over and the police following them behind.

"When you look at the video making rounds, you will realize that there was a water van which wasn’t used, rather they resorted to firing live ammunition. That is unwarranted and disproportional,” he said in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Amos Ekow Coffie.

He also stated that the approach the police used in handling the situation was supposed to be the last option since there are other options to use in handling crowds.

“When protestors go the extra mile to become an extreme threat to the safety of the security personnel and innocent people around, that’s when the live bullets are used sometimes, but not in these circumstances.

"Even before the live ammunition, they were supposed to use rubber bullets but unfortunately the last resort ended up being the first resort which I find unwarranted, irresponsible and so disproportional, I don’t think the crowd there posed such a serious threat to the lives of innocent people and officers around to resort to that,” he added.

He is also calling for a thorough investigation to be carried out to ascertain what informed the decision to use live bullets to disperse the crowd.