Second suspect dies in police custody in two weeks
A man arrested over allegations of secessionist attacks in the Volta Region has died in police cells in Accra.
The unnamed accused person died while on remand.
The cause of death is yet to be announced.
Lawyer for the accused separatists, Theophilus Donkor, told Citi News that the police were yet to officially inform the family of the deceased person about his demise.
“I can confirm to you that one of those persons is no more with us. We are yet to receive an official complaint from the Police – they have not had the courtesy to even inform the family [about the suspect’s death].
As far as we know, in Ghana, the dead body belongs to the family, so the family should have been consulted,” he said.
Second death in two weeks
It is the second time in two weeks a suspect had died in police custody.
The main suspect who allegedly confessed involvement in the murder of law lecturer, Prof. Yaw Benneh died in police custody on October 17, 2020.
The suspect, James Nana Womba, who was the cleaner in the late lecturer’s household died at the police hospital in Accra.
The 26-year old was rushed to the intensive care unit of the police hospital and put on oxygen.
He died shortly after that, police say. According to the police, James Wamba had been sick for a while.
But they would not disclose the cause of death. They have also declined to give details of the death.
The Western Togoland suspect was one of 59 suspects remanded by the court since the first attack in the Volta Region on Friday, September 25, by secessionists.
Their arrest followed a simultaneous attack launched by a secessionist group on two Police stations in Aveyime and Mepe as part of their activities to claim parts of the Volta Region as Western Togoland.
The Western Togoland Restoration Front, one of three groups fighting for an independent Western Togoland, a swathe of land that covers parts of the Volta Region, Northern, Upper East and Savannah regions, had their footprints on the act.
But their counterparts in the Homeland Study Group Foundation denied knowledge of the act, which security experts blamed on intelligence failure.
On September 29, another group of people suspected to be members of the secessionist group attacked the Ho STC yard and burnt two out of 11 buses parked in the yard.
The group of armed men also beat drivers at the bus terminal and left behind a flag of the breakaway group at the scene.
At least 22 suspects were picked up by security on October 1in connection to the secessionist attacks at the Ho Intercity STC bus terminal.
The suspects were arrested after a joint police and military operation in the Volta Region on Thursday, October 1.
Many groups and individuals, including President Nana Akufo-Addo and National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Mahama, have condemned the violence exhibited by the group.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:
- Secessionistic ‘Western Togoland’ Billboards Pop Up In Eastern Region
- Passengers Stranded As Western Togoland Secessionists Block Entry Into Volta Region
- Gov’t Has Identified Sources Of Funding To Western Togoland Secessionists – Oppong Nkrumah
- Military Men Arrest 14 Western Togolanders In Kpando