A brother of a man killed in Monday’s shootout at Alavanyo Kpeme in the Volta Region, says he is dissatisfied with the work of the joint police-military personnel deployed to maintain peace in the area.
According to Francis Ampony, the Volta Regional Police Commander does not station personnel at Alavanyo in the night.
Francis Ampony, whose brother, Alfred Afenyo died in the weekend’s shootout at Alavanyo told Citi News the security agencies are being selective in the delivery of justice to the two rival communities.
[contextly_sidebar id=”vZ1BpAXRBzF2swVLZGUwy3dpVpSog0LA”]“The security in Alavanyo is very poor. There was an incident in Dzogbedze, then the Police Commander commanded his police here to leave the town for their own safety. So they left. For the army, they usually go to Nkonya around 6:00pm, then they leave for Nkonya around 6 o’clock in the morning. So the security in Alavanyo is very poor, we don’t know why government is treating us on this issue like this. Both sides are fighting, so government has to share the security equally among them. If something happens at Alavanyo Dzogbedze, why should you, a Regional Commander, direct your people at Alavanyo Kpeme to move?” he quizzed.
Meanwhile, a native of Alavanyo, Tony Foli, has disputed claims by the police that they were smuggling weapons to Alavanyo Dzogbedze, the site of the latest clashes.
He accused the military of extortion, stating that they constantly demand payments from the owners of an Indian Hemp farm.
They claimed that the police instigated the clashes when they were denied money resulting in the deaths of two members of the community.
“We are being provoked, not that we are saying that we are right in what happened. But the matter is that if the farming is not going on there, will the soldiers come and take money and go?”.
The Alavanyo Township has been under curfew for some time now following a protracted chieftaincy dispute and reprisal attacks between people of the town and that of Nkonya.
Background
Some two youth of Alavanyo Dzogbedze died, while six persons sustained injuries after they allegedly engaged a military-police team in a gun battle over the weekend.
The Volta Regional Police, Commander DCOP Francis Doku, told the media that the police who gathered intelligence that some people were massing up weapons in the town dispatched a six-member police team to ascertain the truth of the matter.
He said when the team got there, they were outnumbered and three of their handcuffs and an AK-47 were seized by the youth.
DCOP Doku said in an attempt by the military to peacefully, retrieve the gun and handcuffs, the youth opened fire on them and they retaliated thus leading to the death of the two.
Some youth of Alavanyo Dzogbedze on Monday blocked all major roads in the town in protest of the killing.
70yr-old man ‘killed’, soldier injured in renewed Alavanyo-Nkonya conflict
A 70-year-old man, Fred Afenyo, also dead, while a military officer was injured in an exchange of fire involving the people of Nkonya and Alavanyo.
Citi New’s Volta Regional Correspondent, Benjamin Aklama, reported that the Alavanyos accused the people of Nkonya of shooting at them hence a reprisal attack.
The Alavanyos he said climbed a mountain between Alavanyo and Nkonya on Monday, and fired into the military base which is said to be located at Nkonya.
Alavanyo unrest due to police action against ‘wee’ and arms dealers – Letsa
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, explained that the tension in Alavanyo between security personnel and community members follows an operation against persons dealing in arms and Indian hemp known locally as ‘wee’.
His however gave the assurance that will be restored despite the unfortunate incidents that have led to the loss of human lives and left others with varied degrees of injury.
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By: Benjamin Aklama | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
