The Ghana Police Service has removed the Deputy Regional Commander in the Ashanti Region, DCOP Kwesi Akomea Apraku after the shooting incident at the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi on Monday June 13, 2022.
In a statement by the Police Service signed by the Inspector General Of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, it established that even though nobody was hit by a bullet, the Police handling of the incident was poor and fell short of the Service’s standard operating procedure on crowd control.
“As a result, DCOP Kwesi Akomeah-Apraku who was acting as the Regional Commander has been removed from his position and has been interdicted. Two other officers, ACP Mr George Ankomah, the Regional Operations Officer and ACP Mr Alex Cudjoe Acquah, the Suame Divisional Police Commander have also been interdicted to make way for a thorough investigations into the matter.”
Ghana Police Service
According to the statement, the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) has commenced a full-scale investigation into the conduct of the officers who were responsible for the Police response.
The Service noted that Police clinical psychologists have been deployed to visit the school to offer psychological support to the student body. It then indicated that the situation at the school is under control and calm has since been restored.
Police team visited school
The statement also disclosed that a Police team went with the school authorities and visited the students who had been sent to Suntreso Government Hospital, Kwadaso Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
“Some injured Police Officers who were receiving medical care at the Police Clinic, Kumasi were also visited. Most of the students and the Police Officers who sustained minor injuries and were taken to the hospital have been treated and discharged.”
Ghana Police Service
The Police further noted that investigations have so far been established that some students of Islamic Senior High School, Abrepo, kumasi, took to the streets and blocked sections of the road to demonstrate against frequent motor traffic accidents in front of their school.
“The Police responded to disperse the students and open the road to normal traffic flow. The students pelted the Police with stones and the Police used pepper spray and fired warning shots in an attempt to disperse them.”
Ghana Police Service
This decision to remove the Deputy Regional Commander came after the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akufo-Dampare, led a team from the Police Headquarters to Kumasi immediately following the disturbances at the Islamic Senior High School to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, Abdul Mumin, has intimated that the Police commander who ordered that students of Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi should be shot at, should be punished for his action.
Abdul Mumin condemned the action of the Police stating that the students were unarmed as such, his directive for shots to be fired was uncalled for.
“The commander who instructed his men to fire live bullet failed, he has to be punished for that. We are waiting for the Inspector General of Police to discuss this with him. These are students who were demonstrating, they weren’t armed so why do you fire live bullet?”
Abdul Mumin
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