Ejura killings: I ordered the military, the youth wanted to attack and kill two persons in Police custody — Ashanti Regional Minister

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah has disclosed that he is responsible for the deployment of the military to Ejura last Tuesday, June 29, 2021, to disperse the protest by the angry youth.

Following the death of #FixTheCountry activist Ibrahim Mohammed, popularly known as Kaaka last Monday protesters who took to the streets on Tuesday to demand justice clashed with the police and military personnel who were deployed to control the crowd.

In what turned bloody, the military fired into the crowd killing two civilians with several others sustaining injuries and now battling for their lives.

Speaking to Newsmen on the back of the incident on Friday July 2, 2021, Simon Osei-Mensah who is the Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has confirmed that he is the one who deployed the military to the Ejura-Sekyeredumase Municipality.

According to him, the decision was taken based on intelligence gathered that the youth had targeted to set ablaze the Police station and kill the two suspects who were arrested in connection with Kaaka’s death.

“There are several questions that who really ordered the soldiers to go there. I ordered them to go there. I requested for the military to offer us support as head of the Regional Security Council.

“I got intel that they (youth) said after the burial of Kaaka, they will move and burn the Police Station and burn to death two persons who the Police are keeping in custody in connection with the death of Kaaka. So I realized that wouldn’t help and truly they were going to do that,” he stated.

A three member committee has been formed after President Akufo-Ado ordered Interior Minister Ambrose Dery to conduct a Public Inquiry into the circumstances that led to the killings in Ejura.

The Minister is expected to present a detailed report with recommendations next week.