Source: Myjoyonline.com
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu, Albert Alalzuuga Akuka, has announced his intention to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe the alleged military excesses against his constituents.
According to Mr Akuka, his people were subjected to unlawful attacks, with some even targeted while engaging in the recitation of the Quran, all in the name of searching for weapons.
In a media statement, the lawmaker described the incident as both heartless and disgraceful.
“On October 28, my residents were abruptly awakened from their beds and subjected to brutal beatings. I’ve been informed that some individuals were in the mosque reciting the Quran at the time, yet they were assaulted under the pretence of retrieving weapons. I spoke with one of the commanders, and he confirmed that they did recover some weapons,” Mr. Akuka stated
He further characterised the military’s actions as savage and demanded an official apology from the military high command.
“This is an abuse of power, a disgrace to the uniform. It must be investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable. The incident in Garu is unwarranted, barbaric, and the military high command must apologize to the people of Garu and to all of Ghana,” he added.
Apart from calling for a thorough investigation, Mr. Akuka vowed to escalate the matter to CHRAJ, emphasizing the need to rein in the military, asserting that such actions are tantamount to torture and human rights abuses.
This comes in the wake of a joint military and National Security operation on Sunday, October 29, in response to an attack on five National Security personnel conducting a counter-terrorism mission in the area.
The enraged youth, skeptical of the personnel’s identities, pursued and cornered them in a police station until they were rescued by the Ghana Armed Forces.
The National Security Ministry clarified that the operation aimed to recover the AK-47s discharged by the youth at their personnel and to apprehend the culprits.
Following the incident, many men from the affected areas sought refuge in the forest.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
