A brother of one of the deceased persons of the Ejura disturbances, Abdul-Nasir Yussif, says the soldier who was captured kneeling down with his gun aimed at protestors fired into the crowd.
According to him, when the military personnel got to the scene, they did not even attempt to disperse the demonstrators, but started firing warning shots and later fired directly into the crowd.
This is contrary to the testimony of the Commanding Officer of the 4th Infantry Battalion.
Lt. Col. Kwesi Ware Peprah stated that the soldier who was captured kneeling and aiming his gun at the protesting youth did not fire live rounds directly at the protestors.
According to him, the soldier only knelt and aimed the gun as a way of scaring the protestors.
He said such a posture is acceptable as part of the standard operating procedure the security agencies use in tackling protests such as the one that occurred in Ejura.
But speaking before the 3-member committee leading the public inquiry into the Ejura disturbances on Monday, July 12, 2021, Mr. Yussif stated that the military started firing shots as soon as they got to the scene.
“The military gave two warning shots immediately after they alighted from their vehicles. They were about seven to eight. So immediately I realised what was going on, I started running away. While trying to escape, I felt one of the bullets running over my head. I then saw one of the military men knelt and shot again and again. I then took my motorbike and went back to the office.”
‘We shot to maim after some protestors fired shots’ – Central Command Army head
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), had said earlier that the soldiers were compelled to fire into the protestors after gunshots were fired from among the protestors.
According to the General Officer Commanding of the Central Command, Brigadier General Joseph Aphour, who made the claim when he appeared before the ministerial committee, the soldiers initially gave verbal warnings to the demonstrators, when they arrived at the scene, but the protestors did not pay heed.
Background
The violence occurred during protests that followed the death of Ibrahim Muhammed, a known social activist in Ejura.
Ibrahim Muhammed, alias Kaaka, died after he was attacked by unknown persons on June 27 while returning home.
He’s believed to have been killed because he was critical of the government through his social activism.
The 45-year-old was noted to be vocal on both local and national issues using his Facebook page.
Police in the Ashanti Region have since arrested three persons in connection with his death and put them before the court.
Ibrahim Muhammed was buried on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, alongside the two others who died in the protest. Four persons injured in the protest are also receiving medical attention, but one of them, a sixteen-year-old, has had one of his legs amputated.
