Amnesty: Unprofessional Police To Blame For Rising Cases Of Crime

The Director of Amnesty International Ghana Robert Amoako Akoto has blamed the lukewarm attitude of some police officers for the upsurge of crime and violence in the country.

He explained that the failure of police deal effectively with such acts creates a level of mistrust which in many instances results in these disgruntled people taking the law into their own hands.

He was reacting to an incident that took place at Nima Police station where a young woman was asked to produce the person who assaulted..

In an interview with Citi News, Mr Amoako said, such unprofessionalism by the police is unfortunate and must cease.

“It doesn't speak well of our police system, it clearly shows us an example of why people do not trust justices system if entry into the justices system is treating people like this, that will result to increase the issue of mob justices and mob violence,” he said.

A woman known as Halimatu Issah was seen being physically assaulted by a man who has been identified as Muniru Kpende in a video that has gone viral.

Halimatu who went to seek help from the Nima police has expressed disappointment in the police officer on duty.

According to her, she said the police officer on Tuesday dawn questioned her about the time she had chosen to report the case and asked her to produce the man who assaulted her.

Her assailant assaulted Halima because she was watching him fight another person in the neighbourhood where she had gone to visit her father, the onlookers videoing the incident didn't help her but instead asked her run.

According to the victim, she and her sister were returning from Waazi in Nima around 12 am, when they came across people fighting.

She was waiting for her sister who had step aside to receive a phone call when her assaulter walked up to her and started hitting her with a stick.

Last year Amnesty International Ghana decried the surge of mob attacks, otherwise known as instant justice, which is gaining notoriety in most Ghanaian communities.

It noted with grave concern that the situation is steadily endangering human security. As a human rights advocacy organisation, it implores the nation's law enforcement agencies to tackle the situation.

Amnesty International Ghana's Board Chairman, George Aggrey, raised the concern at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Tamale Catholic Guest House.

It was under the theme, “Protecting Our Environment and Our Right to Life.”

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By: Farida Yusif/citinewsroom.com/Ghana