Blood-curdling youth of Kwapong in the Asunafo South District of the Brong Ahafo Region on Friday vandalised the town’s police station and burnt alive a fetish priest who was in police custody.
In what looked like a movie scene, police personnel had to run for their lives until reinforcement arrived from nearby Goaso, Kenyasi and Mim.
The irate youth of Kwapong had stormed the police station to deliver instant justice to Efo Kwasi, a 27-year-old spiritualist who allegedly stabbed and killed one Kwaku Donkor, a tri-cyclist.
The police, as expected, arrested Efo and kept him in custody; but the youth numbering over 1000, inexplicably stormed the police station and demanded that the fetish priest be released to them.
In the ensuing confusion, one of the policemen reportedly fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and in the process, stray bullets hit one Kwame Wiafe, killing him instantly and also injuring another by name Kwame Kabore.
Incensed by the killing of their colleague, the youth then vandalised the police station, forcibly broke into the cell, pulled out the fetish priest and set him ablaze. He also died instantly.
According to sources, a misunderstanding had ensued between the fetish priest and Kwaku Donkor over the cost of carting some goods from Efo’s farm to the house.
In the heat of the confusion, Efo became annoyed and attacked Kwaku with a knife, killing him instantly; and that led to the mayhem in Kwapong.
The six police officers at the station were said to have fled and taken refuge at a nearby school and it was the reinforcement that brought the situation under control, even though the violence started about 6pm on Friday and continued till Saturday.
When Daily Guide contacted the District Police Commander, DSP Simon Peter, he confirmed the incident but said he was not in the district, as he had travelled to Accra.
Later, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Maxwell Atindane, told Joy FM that the fetish priest was arrested after a complaint was lodged with the police. However, he said the youth in the area besieged the police station and started vandalising property, baying for the blood of the fetish priest; and when the police refused to hand over the fetish priest to them and fired warning shots to disperse them, a stray bullet hit two of the agitating youth, killing one of them.
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