We want answers to the murders, not to the transfer of the commander – the young people of Alavanyo

General News of Monday, January 21, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-01-21

The youth of Alavanyo, in the Volta region, are the least enthusiastic about the Inspector General of Police's decision to transfer the regional commander.

Mathias Apoenchi, the youth leader, said the transfer of DCOP by David Asante Appeatu, Francis Doku, did not answer the question of the recent murder of innocent people in the city.

"We pray and hope that the transfer of DCOP Doku is not an attempt to settle this matter under the rug. All we are asking is that justice be done for the three defenseless people murdered under his tutelage, "he told Emefa Apawu of Joy FM Monday at Newsnight.

He added that they were waiting for the committee set up to investigate the issue to present their findings and hopes that justice will be done.

Mr Apoenchi's statement follows recent clashes between Alavanyo Dzogbedze's youth and security agencies that resulted in the death of three people, including a 70-year-old man and several others who were injured to varying degrees.

Police said she was warning of a mbad attack when the young man fired back.

But in a strong reaction, Mamaga Ametorh, queen mother of the city, opposed the badertion of the police.

"There is a small farm in Alavanyo, so the police use the place as a gold mine … Today, there will be this team tomorrow, another team will come and do it at random. They grabbed guys and arrested them for growing grbad and took money from them and let them go, "she said.

She later said that the police wanted to conceal seeing gangs trying to destroy the peace of the city, but that was not true.

Young people in Alavanyo called on the government to establish an independent body to investigate the circumstances that led to the deaths of three people.

According to the young man, the acts and statements of DCOP Doku during his stay there fueled the conflict.

"Before the referendum, he went out to say that there was a stock of weapons in Alavanyo to try to disrupt the elections … he said that people had been arrested and that the firearms had been taken from them … said the same thing here, "he said.

He thinks the transferred commander has something sinister against them, so it's better that he's gone.

Speaking on the issue, Regional Minister Archibald Letsa said that a report of the committee charged with investigating the murders alleged to have been made public today was delayed because the committee asked for an extension.

"They said they had crucial evidence to collect and so they asked for an extension of time until January 24," he told Emefa Apawu on Newsnite on Joy FM.