When providing security becomes a crime

The Ghana Police Service has come under attacks owing to unprofessionalism over the years. It is either a Civilian is allegedly attacked by a Policeman or the Police arrest Police over robbery. How can the nation experience a meaningful headway with these issues at hand. As a young Journalism student, my prayer is that jobs be created for the youth among other things. Is it true that the devil finds work for an idle man? This article of mine isn't aimed at apportion blame whatsoever.

Instead, I intend to write in anticipation to change the status quo. Ghanaians are good at blaming each other over an issue at the expense of pragmatic approach in bringing a lasting solution to the said menace. This brings me to the incident of Armed robbers who succeeded in taking the life of a police officer during a robbery activity involving a bullion van at Adedenkpo, a suburb of James Town in Accra, Monday.

According to eyewitnesses' accounts, the police officer, Emmanuel Osei was providing security for the van while the young lady, Afua Badu, was a bystander who witnessed the incident. It was alleged that the van was carrying an unknown amount of cash and that it was trailed by some men in a taxi and on a motorbike, otherwise known as ‘okada’.

The said stretch of road where the incident happened is closer to the Bukom Boxing Arena and more often than not, there is heavy police presence there. However, this very incident happened at the blind side of the police. I believe it is a wakeup call to our security operatives to be vigilant at all times. Anytime, we hear of any issue of a police being shot dead or assaulted, it is often characterised by the junior ranks. A situation that is worrying. The junior ranks are the ones always providing security at the banks, in the vans, on the borders, barriers among others.

What safety measures have the police hierarchy put in place to safeguard their men on the ground? We shouldn't pretend as though Ghana is peaceful whereas our security personnel die like chickens. Indeed, it is a clear case of; providing security a new crime. If not the miscreants wouldn't have shot him to death. For the miscreants to have bolted with their booty at the expense of the livelihood of a family is very sad. For all you know, the deceased is a breadwinner of his family.

Whether the bullion van got to a less crowded place, before the robbers attacked the vehicle by firing indiscriminately or otherwise it is a crime and an indictment on our security machinery as a country.

Nonetheless, I would humbly applaud the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), for directing the Director-General, Criminal Investigation Department to take over investigations into circumstances leading to the killing of a police officer and a bystander during the attack.

In the interim, I believe bullet proof vans must be used to carry out such operations. For how long will we continue to lose our men in uniform. My heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. Never again should it be an offence when protecting cash.

Author: Stephen Bernard Donkor, an Award winning Journalism student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ)

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