Police Officer Kills Plumber

A trigger pulled by a police officer towards an ‘okada’ rider has led to the death of a 51-year-old man at Timber Market in Accra.

The man identified as Efo Teiko Amuzu, a plumber at the market, was hit in the right ribs by the stray bullet from the rifle of the said police officer identified as Constable Issa Abdulai Rahim, attached to the National Protection Unit.

Eyewitnesses claimed Constable Rahim was struggling with an ‘okada’ rider in an attempt to handcuff him when his gun triggered.

In the ensuing confusion, the policeman, according to eyewitnesses, ‘vanished’ from the scene, leaving the victim to his fate but traders and other passers-by rushed him to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment, where he died on arrival .

Narrating the incident to DAILY GUIDE, Madam Mary Aseidu, a trader who witnessed the incident, said the incident occurred around 6:30am yesterday morning.

The police officer was chasing the ‘okada’ rider who was then carrying two female pillions from UTC in Accra Central to the Timber Market.

On reaching the Timber Market, the police officer who was riding an unregistered Royal Motorbike strategically hit the ‘okada’ rider’s bike.

Madam Mary said the ‘okada rider’ and the pillions fell off the bike to the ground.

At the moment, the police man held the ‘okada’ rider from the ground and attempted to handcuff him.

This resulted in a struggle between the policeman and the rider but to show his prowess, the policeman allegedly cocked his gun with his leg and warned the ‘okada’ rider that he would shoot him if he continued to resist arrest.

After the man had continuously refused to be arrested, the police man used the butt of his gun to hit him several times, after which he shot at him.

However, Madam Aseidu said the stray bullet rather hit Teiko, who was standing far from the scene and in front of a store.

“When the deceased fell down, the police officer asked those around to help him get a vehicle to convey the victim to the hospital and when the people were busily looking for a vehicle, the police officer jumped onto another ‘okada’ and fled the scene,” she narrated.

Meanwhile, DSP Efia Tenge, when contacted, said the James Town Police received a report that that around 6:20am yesterday, a police officer using unregistered blue Royal motorbike chased a civilian motorbike rider from the Galloway road to the Timber Market.

She said the alleged police officer crossed the rider and they both fell down but in an attempt to handcuff the suspect who resisted fiercely, the said police officer’s rifle fell and shot Teiko in the process.

He was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.

She added that Constable Rahim is in their custody assisting in their investigations.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue for preservation.