Sergeant Jacob Adoye, the police officer with the Charlie SWAT Unit of the Accra Regional Police Command who allegedly shot two persons including a suspected murderer on Thursday, has been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for investigations.
ASP Effia Tengey, the Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), said the move will help unravel circumstances surrounding the shooting of the two persons by the police officer.
“Since the Accra Regional Police Command is directly involved in the case, there is the need for headquarters to take over to ensure transparency in the investigations.”
She made this known when the Regional Command under COP Dr George Akuffu Dampare visited the family house of the two deceased persons to commiserate with them.
The victims, Adesha Bagagyi, 40 years and Joseph Adjei, 24, died early Thursday at the Police Hospital while receiving treatment after they were shot by the police officer.
A warrant of arrest, according to reports, was issued by the court for the immediate arrest of five persons, including Adesha Bagagyi, one of the deceased persons, for taking part in the murder of one Sulley Musa at Teshie last year.
It was during his arrest that the police officer opened fire that led to his death.
ASP Tengey stated that the Inspector General of Police ordered the takeover of the case by the CID.
In addition, the police have also asked that an independent pathology conduct an autopsy on the bodies of the deceased persons.
Madam Ayele, mother of Joseph Adjei, told the regional commander and his entourage that his son was not a thief as reported by a section of the media.
She said her son was with her in the room when the police came to drag and beat him on the floor.
She said, “My son is not a thief. He helps my nephew in his work.”
Meanwhile, a family friend, who also spoke to the media, said the police came to apologise for putting wrong information in the media.
“We are not happy and today the police came in to clarify issues today that they were sorry for putting wrong information on air,” he said.
Killing
The Accra Regional Police Command on Thursday detained Sergeant Adoye for allegedly killing the two persons.
Sergeant Adoye, according to reports, opened fire on the two persons after they allegedly resisted arrest and attacked him with an axe and a machete when he attempted to apprehend them.
But the family refuted the report by the police which led the team to visit the family yesterday.
ASP Tengey said that on August 25, 2015, during the celebration of Homowo Festival at Teshie, a rival faction attacked the chief of the area, who was then sprinkling Kpokpoi to the area.
The police intervened and brought the situation under control.
Later, the two factions were invited and advised to celebrate the festival and sprinkle Kpokpoi in their respective homes until the chieftaincy dispute was fully resolved.
However, on August 26, 2015, while celebrations were ongoing at the chief’s palace, the same faction who had engaged the chief the previous day, launched an attack again with machetes, knives and missiles and killed one Sulley Musa at the chief’s palace.
On January 20, 2016, police had information that Adesha Bagagyi was being harboured by one Joseph Adjei at Nmai–Dzorn, near Adenta.
A team of police personnel led by the investigator in charge of the case was deployed to arrest him.
Around 1:30am Thursday morning, the team proceeded to the said location and in the process of effecting his arrest of the suspect, the two attacked the police officer with a machete and an axe.
The police officer, whose life was in danger, opened fire injuring them in the process.
The two men were subsequently rushed to the police hospital for treatment.
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