An atmosphere of intense tension has enveloped the village of Godenu, situated near Hohoe in the Volta Region, following an alarming altercation between the police and local inhabitants. The confrontation turned tragic, resulting in the loss of three lives and multiple injuries.
The unsettling incident transpired on the morning of Wednesday, August 30, 2023, when law enforcement officers reportedly engaged in a fateful attempt to apprehend an individual suspected of transporting illegal substances—specifically, Indian hemp—from his agricultural plot.
Escaping on a motorbike into one of the village houses, the suspect’s flight seemed to trigger a series of unfortunate events. Allegedly responding with indiscriminate gunfire, the police’s actions led to the heart-wrenching demise of three residents and left several others wounded. Accounts suggest that the police took the controversial step of setting fire to motorbikes found in their vicinity.
In a purported act of reprisal, a group of angered residents is said to have set fire to one of the four police vehicles present, escalating an already precarious situation.
While the injured individuals are currently under medical care in local hospitals, the bodies of the deceased have been transferred to the morgue for further processing.
The local Member of Parliament has been informed of the incident, prompting the police to initiate a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the clash.
As tensions escalate, numerous residents have opted to isolate themselves within their residences, grappling with concerns of potential harm should they venture outside.
One resident, Francis Kakraba, shared a harrowing firsthand account of the incident with citinewsroom.com, recounting, “In the morning around 10:00 am, I heard some gunshots. I rushed out and saw some people screaming. The police after failing to arrest a farmer who was returning from his farm suspected to be carrying Indian hemp rushed to the community and started shooting. Some of their vehicles caught fire in the process. Some people sustained injuries and others have died.”
The tragic event has stirred a wave of outrage among the local populace, who are calling for justice for the victims and an end to what they perceive as police brutality within the area.
