The Law Verses Mob Actions: The Case Of Denkyira-Obuasi And Tindongo

It is sad, it is an unprecedented and an erroneous act. As I watched the video and write this article, I grieve and still do not understand why this happened. I do not want to express my sentiments here but it appears we are gradually moving towards terrorism and embracing acts of barbarism. On Monday 29^th of May 2017, the nation witnessed unfortunate incidence in the country and absolute injustice meted out to innocent souls including security personnel Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama at about 8.30am at Denkyira Obuasi in the central region and also an attack on a woman at Tindongo in the Northern region over her alleged acts of sorcery and witchcraft. These two unfortunate incidents happened the same date as mentioned rightfully above.

A young guy full of life and future, on a national duty in the central region met his untimely death as he was gruesomely murdered by residents of Denkyira-Obuasi who unfortunately mistook him for a thief. Christianity and laws supersedes individual actions and willingness to allow rage to take effect in our reactions. This act could have caused pandemonium in the form of military retaliation on the said town that caused the act.

As I pondered over why people have become much cruel over a short period and wicked to the extreme extent of killing another brother/sister, I asked myself these questions

• Have Ghanaians lost confidence in the police
• Is it as a result of an unequal distribution of state resources that have led to poverty, galamsey activities, robbery and assassination(the Death of J.B Danquah) etc and causing the poor to hate the rich or develop some sort of enmity towards the rich
• Are the poor turning wild against the rich
• Are we fed up with our judicial system and how cases are adjudicated/is the judicial system weak?

Using what happened to Late Maxwell as reference, have we lost confidence in the police? In the video, the young soldier begged for his life severally and pleaded to be taken to the police station if they had doubt about his military position/rank. Common sense should have brought the angry mob on track that, “this gentleman has requested we take him to the police station, let’s do exactly that to ensure justice is served”, what prevented the town’s people from taking him to the police station if not lack of confidence in the police. People have lacked confidence in the police overtime based on several reasons including their un-seriousness in executing their role most at times and the taking of bribes to compromise with their responsibilities. Also in Tindongo on the 29^th of May, a woman believed to be a witch was lynched to death by the townspeople. Why have we decided to become our own judges to prosecute our own cases and resort to murdering people we have differences with, is that the right channel?

Secondly, what has triggered the recent murder, arm robbery attacks and trending mob actions in the country? In the year 2016, Tuesday February 9th, a 19-year-old school dropout was accused of stabbing to death Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency of the Eastern Region. It appears these issues keep coming up each day. Is it because of the unequal distribution of income and resources which has led to the few enjoying the fatness of the land and has further infused anger in the youth to fight against any action that appears to deprive them of the activities that help them generate income?

Lastly, have we lost confidence in the judicial system? Is this the reason why we have taken the law into our own hands and visiting injustice upon the innocent? Given that their assertion concerning what they claimed to be true is indeed true, in as much as laws exist in the country, MOB action is an offense against humanity and perpetuators needs to be dealt with accordingly. At one point, I think the selfishness and hunger that some people have being subjected to is the reason for the murder, mob action and all sort of heinous acts. Unemployment and hunger infuses anger in even the innocent soul and causes an individual to be radical and monstrous. This is not to justify the mob action but as a way of highlighting the cause of certain behavioral changes. I beg to differ but I guess in our current society we live in, it is very easy to identify who a thief is from who is not a thief and additionally by applying common sense on your doubt, the police station is the easiest point to seek clarification on such matters. They knew he was a military personnel but they ignored and killed him all the same. What prevented them from enquiring from the police station which was nearby? This probably isn’t the first mob action and I wonder how many has happened that couldn’t attract media attention etc for reasons based on aristocracy(influential hence easily recognized in society).

• I believe the individuals who engaged in the heinous act are religious; religious as belonging to the Christian, Islamic or the Traditional religion. These religions do not teach us to be gruesome towards one another but to love a brother in the same manner one would love himself. Going forward, the current mob action (At Denkyira-Obuasi and Tindongo) and the culprits need to be dealt with accordingly to serve as a deterrent to anyone who would want to engage in the act in the future. We must strengthen our security department especially the police to effect trust in the people as well as the judiciary to be quick and apply justice in the adjudication of cases. We are one nation bound by love and unity. It is possible. I would like to however express my sincere condolence to the family, friends, the military fraternity and the nation at large. Rest In Perfect Peace Maxwell Adam Mahama.

God lives.
Writer: Emmanuel De-Graft Quarshie
0574738810/0202927554
Degraftxclusive.blogspot.com

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