A group of young men in the Kongo Community in the Talensi-Nabdam District yesterday went on rampage, smashing car windscreens and injuring a number of police officers, following a road accident which claimed the life of the Assistant Headmaster of the Kongo Senior High School, Clement Ayindire Adazabra.The troubles were reportedly sparked by a group of young persons , following the accident on the Bolgatanga-Bawku Highway in which the assistant headmaster was killed and a teacher of the school, Mr Andrew Dagbamah, sustained injuries.
At about 4p.m. last Tuesday, a Bolgatanga-bound public transport was reported to have knocked down two people on a motorbike around the Kongo Market along the Bolgatanga-Bawku Highway.
The two were identified as Adazabrah and Dagbamah following which the youth were said to have responded by destroying some parts of the road by digging trenches on it.
In all, a total of 21 trenches, each measuring one metre wide and one metre deep, were dug by the youth ostensibly to make the road impassable.
Some policemen, led by the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, arrived on the scene to restore order but the youth would not budge as they reportedly blocked the road and dug more trenches.
Speaking to reporters in Bolgatanga, DCOP Mahama said when he arrived at the scene; he saw the youth rampaging and destroying public property.
He said he immediately approached the chief of the community to prevail on his subjects to put a stop to their actions.
"While I was diplomatically negotiating with the chief and other opinion leaders to resolve the issue, the youth, apparently under the influence of alcohol and instigated by some two persons, started attacking the police cars, including my official vehicle, the operational vehicle, and the vehicle of the Regional Road Safety Officer, with sticks, rocks and other implements and in the process destroyed the rear windscreens of the cars," DCOP Mahama said.
Also damaged by the rampaging youth was the rear windscreen of a Metro Mass Bus with registration number AS 8167 Y, which was heading for Bawku.
Five police personnel sustained injuries in the riot.
According to him, at a point in time he asked all his men, including personnel of the Rapid Deployment Force from Bawku, to withdraw in a bid to assure the people that the police were in for peace, but the youth would still not be bothered as they continued digging trenches across the highway.
He said later in the evening the police managed to arrest four persons and placed them in custody in Bolgatanga.
The names of the four, who are to be processed for court, are Raphael Azong, 18, a laboratory assistant, Bangin Raymond, 17, a student, Martin Mbugre,30 and Agandaah Roger,22.
He said the injured, including DSP Richard Appiah, who suffered head injuries, and Andrew Dagbamah, who sustained leg injuries, are on admission at the Bolgatanga Hospital.
Meanwhile the Regional Police Commander has declared that he would not allow intolerance and lawlessness to take root the region.
Consequently, his administration has taken steps to contain all forms of extremism and violence in the region." We are determined to enforce the law and to protect state property," DCOP Mahama said.
The regional police commander gave the warning at the Regional Police Headquarters at a meeting with representatives of the Kongo community, including the sitting MP, Mr Moses Asaga and aspiring MP, Boniface Gambila, as well as the security agencies following the incident.
During the deliberation, both Mr Asaga and Gambila conceded that the incident was rather unfortunate and needed not have occur.
They, however, said for the past years some motorists had been knocking down or killing innocent persons, hence the spontaneous reaction.
They both expressed the need for the Ghana Highway Authority to construct a number of speed ramps on the road to curtail future occurrence of accidents
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