Captain Prince Kofi Amoabeng (retired) recounted a harrowing incident that occurred shortly after his departure from the Ghana Armed Forces in May 1982 (officially discharged in May 1983).
He described it as a near-murder attempt on his life. In his book, Captain Amoabeng explained that he left the Army due to his strong disagreement with the coup that had taken place in the country, led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, an officer with whom he had some casual acquaintance.
He expressed his inability to continue serving in the military because he felt that the Army had become unclear in its purpose and objectives.
There was an incident that took place after his departure from the Army that further reinforced his concerns. During that period, Ghana was under a curfew, and one day, in an attempt to make it home before the curfew took effect, Captain Kofi Amoabeng had to accelerate his journey.
“Unfortunately, the excesses of the coup were more ubiquitous than I had imagined. There were curfews from 6pm to 6am. It was revised to from 8pm to Gam, and then 10pm to 6am. Then it reverted to 6pm to 6am.
“The PNDC did whatever they wanted with our lives. Like school children in a boarding school, we stayed indoors when they told us to, and came out only when they told us we could. If you dared disobey, you incurred the wrath of trigger-happy soldiers who prowled the streets in the night in search of hapless victims on whom they visited all kinds of unspeakable atrocities.
“It was on one of those curfew nights, I was driving at breakneck speed trying to beat the curfew. I sped from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through the Ring Road towards my residence at Nungua. I was overtaking and weaving in-between cars in my BMW 3 series vehicle,” he wrote in Volume 1 of his book, The UT Story: Humble Beginnings.
During that tense moment, Captain Prince Kofi Amoabeng noticed a vehicle closely following him. As the situation unfolded, he decided to pull over and confront the occupants of the trailing car. To his initial relief, he recognized a familiar face among them, which put him at ease.
However, what initially seemed like a chance encounter and possibly a brief reunion turned into a life-threatening situation that nearly cost him his life.
“Suddenly I realized that a vehicle behind me was flashing its headlights desperately at me. I could not make out who it was. And because I did not want to risk an unruly coup maker shooting at me, I pulled over to the side of the road in front of Caesar’s Palace around the Danquah Roundabout.
“No sooner had I stopped than the vehicle, a white Peugeot 504, carelessly screeched to a halt in front of me. Who is this crazy dude? I thought.
“WO Agyei Boadi, of the GAF Fire Service Department stepped out of the vehicle. We knew each other well. My mess, Signal Mess, was located just across the street from the fire station where he was stationed. So, once I realized it was him, I became relaxed. ’Commander, it’s me,’ I said in deference to him, well aware that he was a prominent member of the PNDC. ‘Is there a problem?’
“’You people want to kill me, but before I die some of you will die!’ he yelled at me. Thinking he was mistaking me for someone else, I looked him straight in the eye and said, ‘It’s me, Captain Amoabeng.’
“’Yes, I know it’s you!’ he yelled. ‘Some of the enemies are in the Armed Forces!’ Then I realized he was brandishing a pistol at me. His erratic behaviour confounded me. Why was he talking to me in that manner? And why was he brandishing a weapon at me?
“I quickly raised my hands in surrender, ‘I’m unarmed. What’s wrong with you?’ And then he fired the pistol POW! Just then, some officious bystanders rushed quickly and shielded me from him. Even his personal body guard also stepped between him and me. The bystanders bungled me into my car and urged, ‘Drive! Go! Go!’ I drove off hurriedly. I was totally confused.
“When I got to The Advent Press junction and slowed down to negotiate the bend, I realized a vehicle behind me was flashing its lights at me. I pulled over and waited in my car.
“It was the bystanders who had intervened between me and WO Agyei Boadi. They stepped out of their vehicle and walked towards me. They informed me that after I left, WO Agyei Boadi slapped them a couple of times for rescuing me. ”’Rescuing me?’
“’Yes Captain, he almost killed you. You were lucky he missed.’
But Agyei Boadi only fired a warning shot for whatever reason I cannot fathom. So, what are these guys talking about? I wondered.
“’Please step out of the car,’ they said, when they realized my confusion. I obliged. They pointed at the driver’s side of the door where apparently the bullet had entered. It was close to where I was standing when Agyei Boadi fired the gun. My mind began to wander: was Agyei Boadi really trying to kill me? Why? And how did he miss from such close range? Suddenly I began to tremble. He could’ve killed me! It took me a while to calm down and regain my composure.”