The body of 18-year-old Abdul Hakim Yakubu, a Junior High School (JHS) graduate who was hit and killed by a stray bullet in the Lamashegu shooting incident in the Northern Region, has been laid to rest according to Islamic rites.
A pathologist was flown from Accra to Tamale to examine the body of Yakubu who died as a result of the shooting incident which occured on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
The body was subsequently released to the family for burial.
Imam Adam Yakubu, who led prayers before and after the burial, urged the youth to always observe the five daily prayers.
Thousands of residents trooped to the cemetery to pay their last respects to the deceased.
The father of the deceased, Yakubu Sayibu, who was visibly devastated, said his son was not part of the riot but was hit by a stray bullet.
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“He was not involved and did not do anything but they killed him, I leave everything in the hands of God and if it’s the strength they showed God is the owner of strength that’s all I can say to them.”
Meanwhile, family members of the deceased have called on the police to ensure that justice is served by letting the culprits face the law to deter others.
On February 13, 2022, there was a clash between some youth of Lamashegu, a suburb of Tamale, and the police in the Northern region, resulting in the shooting of some persons.
The clash started when a driver of an unregistered white saloon car refused to stop for the police to carry out routine checks which resulted in the police chasing the vehicle and shooting the driver in the waist.
This infuriated the youth in the area and they mobilised at the Lamashegu palace, where the driver of the vehicle was shot, to attack the police who also started firing warning shots that hit another person in the mouth.
The driver of the unregistered vehicle is currently receiving treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
The Lamashegu Chief, Naa Ziblim Abdulai, has called for calm and pleaded with the youth in the area to allow the police to investigate the incident.
Naa Ziblim Abdulai also called on the Ghana Police Service to ensure that all those involved are brought to book.
Interdiction
In a swift reaction, the police administration has interdicted six officers and ordered an investigation into the incident.
The six interdicted officers are Corporal Samson Kweku Darfour, Corporal Prosper Mormesimu, General Constable Harrison Twum Danso, Constable Matthew Sah, Constable Nuhu Muntari, and Constable Doris Serwaa Bonsu.
A statement, signed by the Director-General, Public Affairs, DCOP Kwesi Ofori, said the police administration has also dispatched a team of investigators, led by the Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), DCOP Frederick Agyei, to lead the investigation into the incident.
To work alongside the CID is a team from the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB), whose term of reference is in dealing with breaches of professional standards on the part of the police officers.
The statement added that the Northern Regional Police Command has been tasked to liaise with affected families and offer them the necessary support, in line with police regulations.
The police have appealed to the people of Lamashegu and the entire Tamale metropolis, to remain calm as the investigation continues into the unfortunate occurrence.
“We would like to assure the public that anybody found culpable will be dealt with according to the law,” it said.