Mahama Lynching: Barbarism Not Our Culture – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has called on Ghanaians to eschew lawlessness in the wake of the grisly murder of an army captain in Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region by marauding residents.

Captain Maxwell Mahama was on Monday brutally lynched and charred to death after he was allegedly mistaken as an armed robber.

He was with 5 Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces, Burma Camp Accra but on detachment duties at Denkyira Obuasi where he was savagely killed.

President Mahama who visited the family of the fallen officer Thursday June 1, 2017 to commiserate with them disclosed that he is deeply traumatized by the dastardliness of the act.

“This is a tragedy that nobody expects at a time like this. Maxwell was a very fine officer, very respected in the army,” said the former Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.

“He had a very bright career ahead of him and unfortunately to die this way is totally unacceptable. The military institution that sacrifices a lot to defend us and for those who are to defend us to become the victims of ourselves, for us to inflict this kind of death on them is unacceptable completely,” he said in a melancholic tone.

Urging swift action in apprehending the committers of the said gruesome act, Mr. Mahama who is an uncle to the fallen captain said “If we are able to find out who did it and properly prosecute them and apply the penalty, I believe that it will serve as a deterrent to people who engage in mob justice. If this happens Maxwell’s death will not have been in vain.”

But, he warned “if the perpetrators get away with it then the impunity will continue. And the question I ask myself is how many more innocent people haven’t died through this kind of barbaric gestures. It’s never been our culture to kill humans in this wicked way. I believe that everything should be done to stamp it out.”

Seven remanded
Meanwhile, the Cape Coast Magistrate Court presided over by Her Ladyship Rita Amoaning Adusei remanded into police custody the seven suspects being held for the murder of Captain.

Six people were arrested while the assemblyman for the area who allegedly ordered the killing of Captain Mahama reported himself to the Police Wednesday after he had earlier fled the area.

On Thursday, the police sought the remand to aid them complete their investigations.

The accused are William Baah, Assemblyman and teacher 36, farmer Yaw Antwi 32, farmer Bismarck Donkor 36, farmer Kofi Badu 29, farmer Kofi Nyame, 29, Anthony Amoah, 23, Okada operator and Philip Badu, 30, a prison assistant.

Prosecution was led by ASP Helinious Ayonyo and the defense lawyer is George Bernard Shaw.

The seven suspects have been charged with murder and will reappear on the 19th of June this year.

In a related development one of the suspects on the run has been shot dead by unknown assailants.

His lifeless body was found at Modaso, a farming community near Denkyira Obuasi and it had since been sent to the Diaso hospital for autopsy.