Pressure is mounting on Ghana’s government to end police brutality on citizens. The writers at Broowaha say it follows series of reports of police officers brutalizing citizens without provocation in their line of duty.
On Friday, Ghanaians were outraged by a video capturing a police officer brutalizing a woman and her toddler.
The police officer was seen beating the woman and her toddler in a banking hall in the country’s capital Accra.
The video went viral on social media attracting anger with many demanding for justice for the poor woman.
Brutality without provocation
In the said video, the police officer spent more than one minute abusing the woman and her baby without any provocation.
A man in the video was seen trying to rescue the toddler from the woman to avoid further injuries.
The police officer wielding a gun finally succeeded in throwing out the woman and her baby from the banking hall.
The police officer has been identified as Frederick Amanor Skalla and his victim, the woman has also been identified as Patience Osafo.
The woman had gone to the banking hall to withdraw her deposit of $52 but was refused access.
Her insistence to get her money even though the bank had closed for the day led to her being subjected to the physical abuse.
The police officer is currently in custody and is to be processed for court on criminal charges, according to the police command in Ghana.
UPDATE: Police Administration identifies Officer seen in a video assaulting a woman.
No. 50260 Lance Corporal Godzi Frederick Amanor is in police custody and being processed for Court on all applicable criminal charges.— Ghana Police Service (@GhPoliceService) July 21, 2018
He has also been interdicted and his uniform and all other police accoutrements taken from him, pending internal disciplinary proceedings.
— Ghana Police Service (@GhPoliceService) July 21, 2018
Investigation has also commenced into the conduct of officials of the Midland Savings and Loans Limited, where the incident happened and all persons who are implicated would face the full rigours of the law.
— Ghana Police Service (@GhPoliceService) July 21, 2018
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo Addo has also condemned the action of the police officer.
POLICE ASSAULT @ MIDLAND: ‘Policemen are meant to protect citizens not to assault citizens; I support the measures that the IGP has taken to sanction the police officer’- President Akufo-Addo. @NAkufoAddo @GhPoliceService #JoyNews pic.twitter.com/xLDrzUsJOj
— #JoyNews (@JOYNEWSONTV) July 21, 2018
But civil society groups are demanding for more.
The Alliance for Women in Media Africa (AWMA) in a statement called “for nationwide action in defense of women’s right to conduct their business, enter banks or other public places, and live their lives free from brutality, victimization, and assault by law enforcement and their complicit enablers.”
The group said the police must do “due diligence; thoroughly investigate, charge this officer and prosecute him. His violence as a man in uniform sworn to protect and uphold the law is a particular outrage.”
It also wants the Ghana Police Service to review “its recruitment practices to ensure rogue elements do not find space within the service to perpetuate such violence against women and other citizens.”
The Police in Ghana has on several occasions been accused of brutalities with some leading to deaths.
Source: Africafeeds.com
