Police pick up 5 more over Tuobodom clashes

Source: myjoyonline.com - Police in Tuabodom in the Brong Ahafo Region say they have picked up five more persons in connection with last week’s factional clashes in the town.

It brings to eight the number of people arrested in connection with the fatal clashes last Wednesday in which five people lost their lives, and many more got severely injured.

Reprisals that followed the next day also saw seven houses burnt. Security has since been tightened in the town as investigations continue.

Mallam Aminu, a journalist with local radio station, Gaskia FM, told Joy News Sunday that police would not say what role the persons played, but only to say that they were neck deep in the violent clashes.

Police officials have commended the people in the area for providing crucial information that led to the arrest of the eight persons.

All eight persons have been sent to Sunyani, the regional capital, for interrogation.

Meanwhile, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command has evacuated the police station at Kwapong, 24 hours after an angry crowd vandalized the police post leaving two dead and many others injured.

Kwapong is in the same region as Tuobodom.

Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, DCOP Maxwell Atingani told Joy News his officers will not return to the town until town folks provide information that will lead to the arrest of the ringleaders of the mob attack.

“If they have vandalized the police station, then it means that…they don’t want police station. So I have evacuated all my men because I cannot allow them to stay in a lion’s den”, DCOP Atingani told Joy News Sunday.

The rioting youth of Kwapong stormed the police station on Saturday demanding that a man in police custody be handed to them for instant justice.

The man – named only as Efo Kojo – had stabbed an indigene of the town, killing him instantly.

The angry crowd vandalized the police station, when police refused to hand over Efo Kojo to them.

Police told Joy News the angry crowds forced the suspect out from police cells and burnt him.

Police also confirmed that a resident was hit by a stray bullet fired by one of their officers to disperse the angry youth.

Although local journalists say more than one person was hit by the stray bullet, DCOP Atingani, told Joy News only one person was hit during the clashes between his men and the mob.

“This is not their [Kwapong youth] first time. They have done that before and even shot and killed a policeman”, DCOP Atingani revealed.

According to him, the police station was closed down for many years before numerous appeals by elders of the town caused authorities to re-open it.

Three die in Kwapong clashes   DCOP Atingani told Joy News calm has been restored in Tuobodom.

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