Supporters of Chief Imam clash with Police
National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, John Dumelo, has questioned the fairness of the police in handling offenders at demonstrations after some supporters of the National Chief Imam broke public order on Friday, October 4, 2024, during a protest march in Accra against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
It was a two-way confrontation that evolved from what was reported as the impatience of some youth who were leading the convoy of the National Chief Imam home from his Friday prayers.
This was after their prayers, which was ahead of what is believed to be the Chief Imam’s annual ‘Maulid-deen’ festival to be held on Saturday, October 5.
As reported by GhanaWeb’s George Ayisi, since the first day of the protest, the protesters, while on their usual route, would tarry a while longer at the Kawukudi Junction before continuing with their protest.
Being the case on the second day of the protest as well, the protesters, upon getting to the junction, bumped into a team of young men atop motorbikes, leading a convoy of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, out of the area.
As Ayisi reported, the youth leading the Chief Imam’s convoy, however, got impatient because the police had mounted a barricade preventing them from easy thoroughfare.
The police, in an attempt to explain things to the youth, did not succeed, as the young men forced their way through their barricade until they were able to create a way for their convoy to pass.
It is worth mentioning that the clash only involved the police and youth with the Chief Imam’s convoy, as the protesters were somehow a little away from the very spot where this confrontation happened.
Commenting on the incident on X, formerly Twitter, John Dumelo questioned why the police were unable to arrest any of the culprits. who are supporters of the Chief Imam.
“So democracy hub protested, and some people were arrested after the police alleged they broke the public order, but they couldn’t arrest anyone when supporters of the Chief Imam broke public order. They watched as they destroyed the barricades. Hm,” he stated.
Dumelo is raising the concerns after some Democracy Hub demonstrators were arrested by the police on September 21, 2024, and are being prosecuted after they broke a police barricade that had been mounted around the 37 roundabouts in a bid to maintain security and order.
The barricades restrained the demonstrators from proceeding to the Revolutionary Square.
The demonstration suddenly turned chaotic as the protesters resorted to blocking the major roads with stones and vehicles, delaying access at the roundabout.
KA
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