Ashaiman residents demand justice after a soldier is killed.

The remains of a soldier who was allegedly killed in Taifa, an Ashaiman suburb, were laid to rest yesterday at Accra’s Military Cemetery at Burma Camp.

Private Imoro Sherrif, a trumpeter in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Band stationed at the 3 Garrison in Sunyani, was stabbed to death on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

Family members, friends, fellow soldiers, and other well-wishers gathered at the cemetery to say goodbye to the young soldier.

Military honors

The solemn burial ceremony was marked by military honors and Islamic service, which was led by the National Chief Imam, Sheik Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, who prayed for the soul of the departed soldier.

Many people sobbed as the body was transferred from the 37 Military Hospital, where it had been prepared for burial.

Background of Dead Soldier

Awudu Imoro, the deceased’s father, stated that Private Sherrif attended Ashaiman primary and junior high schools before transferring to Akwamuman SHS, where he graduated in 2017.

Mr Imoro explained the circumstances surrounding Sherrif’s death, saying that in early January this year, Sherrif called his mother to inform her that he would be in Accra in the first week of February for a course.

According to the father, Sherrif told them that when he arrived in Accra, he would be able to visit the family on Fridays, so for the past three weeks, Sherrif had gone home every Friday until his death.

Residents want justice.

Meanwhile, residents of Ashaiman are demanding justice following the March 7, 2022 military raid on the community.

Residents wearing red armbands claimed the molestation of some of them was unjustified.

On March 7, 2023, some soldiers invaded some Ashaiman suburbs after a colleague was killed in the area on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

In order to find the murderers, soldiers took over the streets of Ashaiman and brutalized some residents.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday under the banner “Ashaiman Lives Matter,” community leaders, led by the Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adjor, condemned the attack on the young soldier and the soldiers’ retaliation.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday under the banner “Ashaiman Lives Matter,” community leaders, led by the Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adjor, condemned the attack on the young soldier and the soldiers’ retaliation.

Two former Ashaiman Members of Parliament (MPs), Franklin Winfred K. Aheto and Alfred Agbesi, addressed the media, as did the current MP, Ernest Norgbey; Emmanuel Kumadey, a private legal practitioner; Alexander Amanor, the NPP Ashaiman Constituency Chairman, and Francis Damasi, the NDC Constituency Vice-Chairman.

Demands Justice

While condemning the soldier’s death and expressing condolences to his family, the leaders urged police to expedite their investigations and bring the perpetrators to justice.

They also demanded that the President immediately form a committee to investigate the soldiers’ actions and punish those responsible.

The group also demanded that the President, as the GAF’s Commander-in-Chief, order the immediate release of all Ashaiman residents who were still illegally detained by the military.

They also demanded that the President order the Ministry of Defense to pay for all damaged property and compensate innocent victims who were brutalized during the swoop.

Furthermore, community leaders urged the municipal assembly to install street lights in all communities, citing darkness as a contributing factor to the soldier’s death because the incident occurred in a dark area.

The press conference organizers urged the media, civil society, professional bodies such as the Ghana Bar Association, religious bodies, and others to join the residents of Ashaiman in condemning the soldiers’ violence and criminal acts.

“The GAF has consistently and persistently used Ashaiman as a training ground for unleashing violence on innocent citizens with impunity. “We are saying loud and clear that we have had enough and that enough is enough,” Mr Kumadey told the media.

The rule of law

The Regent of Ashaiman condemned the soldier’s death and the soldiers’ retaliation against the residents.

“If we should keep quiet over this, we don’t know who will be the next victim. “Ghana is a democratic country where human rights and the rule of law must be upheld at all times,” he said.

Mr Norgbey, for his part, advised residents not to take the law into their own hands and instead to trust their community leaders to fight for justice on their behave

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