Wa killing must be probed – Rashid Pelpuo appeals to IGP

The Member of Parliament for Wa Central, Rashid Pelpuo has called on the Ghana Police Service’s top hierarchy to thoroughly investigate the killing of a middle-aged man by an anti-robbery team in Wa.

After meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the deceased’s family has backed down on its demand that the police contact them and issue an unqualified apology for wrongfully labelling the deceased as an armed robber.

According to the family, the victim, Abubakari Shahid, was a law-abiding citizen who never engaged in any robbery, contrary to what the police claim.

In an interview with Citi News, the Wa Central legislator stated that the police must refrain from attacking his constituents.

“We are very sad about what has happened. I want to urge the police through the IGP to call on his people to avoid shooting at our people, apologize to the family for labelling their relative as an armed robber and do the necessary thing.”

Many are not convinced by explanations given by the anti-robbery unit of the Upper West Regional Police Command for the killing of the resident of Dondoli, a suburb of Wa.

The deceased, Abubakar Shahban is reported to have been killed by the police anti-robbery taskforce over his alleged connection to a robbery gang that has been operating within Wa and its environs.

Family of the deceased said he left home on March 8 at about 8:00 pm to visit a friend but did not return until they were informed of his murder on March 9.

Some residents of Wa on Friday besieged the Regional Coordinating Council and demanded the release of the remains of the deceased and demanded he is cleared of the robbery allegations.

The family, at a press conference on Monday [March 13], threatened to take legal action should the police fail to apologize to them for killing and tagging Abubakar Shahid as a robber.

But a spokesperson for the family, Mohammed Tamim, in a Citi News interview said they have decided to remain calm, trusting that investigations will exonerate their late brother.