The Tulaku, a suburb of Ashaiman, yesterday turned a ghost town when some military personnel stormed the area and arrested at least 72 people in connection with the murder of a soldier, Imoro Sheriff.
This was after the soldiers had subjected some of the residents to severe beatings to avenge the death of their colleague, who was allegedly murdered in cold on Monday.
After conducting the swoop in the area and arresting some residents for questioning over the death of 21-year-old Imoro Sheriff, the soldiers brandishing AK-47 assault rifle, cordoned off the Ashaiman roundabout-Afariwaa stretch of the road and conducted random searches in some commercial private vehicles.
A mini passenger bus, popularly known as trotro, in which this reporter was travelling with at about 9:50 a.m stopped and two young men believed to be in their early 20s were ordered to alight and searched.
“Are you sure you don’t have a hand in the murder of the soldier”, one soldier asked a passenger, who in a trembling tone replied: “No sir, I have no hand in that”, our car was allowed to continue.
When the Ghanaian Times reporter got to the Ashaiman roundabout around 10:22 a.m, a male passenger was seen pulled out of one of the passengers vehicle and given a few lashes by one of the soldiers, his crime being for failure to comply to the search directive of the soldiers.
This reporter witnessed soldiers beat up those who did not comply with their orders.
All shops were closed and commercial activities ceased, forcing the inhabitants of the area to lock themselves up in their rooms.
The incident of alleged mob killing of the soldier received mixed reactions over the weekend as to what may have triggered the barbaric attack on the soldier.
When contacted, authorities at the Tema Regional Police Command declined to comment on the issue, saying they did not have adequate information as at the time of filing this report.
It would be recalled, that a soldier of the 3rd Battalion Infantry in Sunyani was on last Friday, allegedly murdered in Tafia, a suburb of Ashaiman.
Identified as Imoro Sheriff, the 21-year old soldier was allegedly killed by a mob after visiting his girlfriend in the area.
The story indicated that Imoro visited the girlfriend anytime he went to Ashaiman where he was born and raised.
His father, Asanubu Imoro, said his son, who was based in Sunyani, informed him that he was attending a programme in Accra and planned to visit the family on Friday.
It was later on Friday that Asanubu recounted having heard the news of his son’s death on social media.
FROM IAN MOTEY & KEN AFEDZI, ASHAIMAN
