Relatives of victims of the June 8, 2023 massacre at Akwasa Hills in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have beseeched the newly appointed IGP, Christian Tetteh Yohonu, to reopen investigations into the incident.
About nine persons were shot dead at the Akwasa Hills by police on Thursday June 8, 2023.
A statement by police several days after the incident described the deceased persons as “armed landguards” and pegged the number of deaths at five while declaring some two other persons “wanted”.
The position of the police was greeted with an utmost rejection by eyewitnesses who countered that more than nine persons were killed in the incident.
Even though the issue attracted the attention of the Eighth Parliament following series of petitions, the committee that was mandated to look into the it never disclosed its findings, throwing relatives into suspense.
Margaret Ofeibea, mother of two of the victims Augustine Nii Kwei who was a sub-chief at Bortianor and Daniel Nii Kwei, a Community Police Assistant told 3News.com that “I had two sons. All of them were killed by the police on that day. Police led by Dampare and Madam Akrofi claimed they were armed robbers and landguards but until today nobody has been able to show who my sons robbed”.
Commenting on the parliamentary committee she said “the committee visited me once the later sent a delegation led by Rawlings’s daughter. They presented cash to cater for the funeral, but I rejected it because that is not what I want. All I need is for the police to offer explanation for the death of my children and I want the new IGP to do that for me”.
Congratulating Christian Tetteh Yohonu, the newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Chief of Kokrobite Nii Offei III reiterated calls for “the matter to be thoroughly probed” as he maintains that “the victims were operating the sand mines on behalf of the traditional authorities and were never criminals”.
He said the matter, when brought to finality, will “bring comfort to the families.”
