The family of ‘Kaaka Macho’, a murdered social media activist at Ejura, says its request to meet with the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to tell him their concerns has become a stonewall.
On Tuesday, spokesperson for Ibrahim Mohammed’s family, at a meeting with the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Shharubutu, said: “Since last week, we requested for an audience with the IGP to raise our concerns at the highest level.
“That request has not been replied to or accorded any respect.”
The family cited several incidents which they say make them “lose confidence in the ability of the Police to deal with this matter fairly, diligently and with the necessary regard for its gravity.”
According to the family, the police’s act of omission and commission does not help unravel the truth behind the murder and get the culprit behind bars.
The activist died on admission at the Komfo Another Teaching Hospital at 01:40 am on June 28, 2021, after assailants attacked his occipital area with clubs when the deceased entered his Dagomba Line family house at Ejura on June 26, 2021.
Two people were killed whilst four others sustained gunshot wounds as the youth at Ejura protested over the murder of the activist.
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A committee, set up to probe the Ejura disturbances that ensued following the murder of the social activist, has since presented its recommendations to government.
But the family of Kaaka Macho, calling for justice for their relative, said: “Since the attack on Kaaka’s life and his subsequent death, we have continued to see a trend of laxity, intimidation, and deliberate misinformation from various persons in the Ghana Police Service.”
According to them, they are “aggrieved that Police deliberately peddled misinformation that will cause the public to believe that Kaaka’s death was a case of fratricide and nothing else.
“Though under the laws of Ghana, Baba Iddi should be considered and treated as innocent until proven guilty, certain persons have continued to create the impression that Iddi has now been found guilty. We think that is unfair; and not right at all.
“For instance, at least one senior police officer, COP Tiwaa Addo Danquah, told the press that Kaaka was not killed in connection with his activism, though the Police had barely conducted any investigation into the matter. Another individual, who is head of a parliamentary committee that oversees the work of the Police, was deployed to jump from media station to media station to peddle the falsehood that Baba Iddi, Kaaka’s brother, killed him.”
They say despite this, “the Police themselves had conducted no investigation into the murder. In fact, it took the youth of Ejura marching to the chief’s palace to demand answers before the police at Ejura were forced to even visit the scene of the crime more than 16 hours later to pick up the two large sticks Kaaka was attacked with.”
According to the family, “when Kaaka died, and the Police were informed about it, they told the youth of Ejura and the family that they were treating Kaaka’s death as any other regular murder. This sentiment has now been strangely echoed by another government communicator, who referred to Kaaka’s murder as a mere death.”
Therefore, they believe: “These actions compounded a sustained practice of disregard for the family’s welfare by the Police and have made us apprehensive of their professionalism and care for due process. To date, no one in the Ghana Police Service has called the family of Kaaka to update us on the work being done to bring us justice. It is almost as if we are not humans. We have had to find out everything from the media.”