Two male officers from the Ghana National Fire Service stationed in Damongo, Savannah Region, are currently in police custody following their alleged involvement in the death of a 27-year-old man in Damongo.
Approximately 10 other officers suspected to be involved in the incident are reportedly on the run. A visit to the Damongo police station confirmed that the two accused officers are being held in police detention.
Expressing his grief to the media, the elder brother of the deceased, Zackaria Mudase, lamented the tragic loss of his younger brother, whose body exhibited signs of burns and iron marks.
“It was Saturday [9th November, 2023] between 5pm and 6pm that a woman came to the house demanding to see our brother, Shariq Nuhu. Then we told them that he wasn’t available. So, later on, at about 8:30pm, two guys [fire officers] together with an okada rider came with the deceased handcuffed. We asked about their mission and they said our brother stole their mattress and they were searching for it. Later, we found out they were fire officers,” he said.
He recounted that their brother met his untimely demise as a consequence of the alleged brutality inflicted by the fire officers. According to Mr. Zackaria Mudase, his sibling was handcuffed to the house and subsequently taken back by the officers.
When questioned about the potential cause of death, he expressed the belief that his brother likely succumbed to injuries sustained during the assault by the suspects.
“Yes, there’s no doubt that he did not die out of the brutalities because he was not sick, neither has he complained of any illness. So, I believe that he died from the beatings and this was carried out by the fire officers”he alleged.
A senior officer at the Savannah Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service, who requested anonymity, has verified to Myjoyonline that the two suspects—whose names were not disclosed—are affiliated with the West Gonja Municipal Command.
Despite expressing astonishment at the involvement of the suspects, the senior officer assured that the command would collaborate with the police in any investigations related to the two individuals.
Meanwhile, the local youth have laid the deceased to rest in accordance with Islamic traditions.