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.
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.
“They have gained notoriety in vandalizing police posts so we have taken our men away”, DCOP Atingani said.
Kwapong is in the same region as Tuobodom, where gun violence between two factions a few days ago resulted in the death of five people with several others sustaining various degrees of injury.
A reprisal attack on Friday in Tuobodom again destroyed properties, including homes and cars, and threw the town into further turmoil.
However, the Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council told Joy News security in Tuoabodom has been tightened further to avert further reprisals.
DCOP Atingani told Joy News calm has been restored in Tuobodom.
Source: myjoyonline.com
