Four Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officers and two other persons have been remanded in police custody by the Wa District Magistrate’s Court, over the death of a farmer at the Piree-Kaangu in the Upper West Region.
The four GIS officers, – Senior Inspector Adjei Boadi Philip, 36, Assistant Immigration Control Officer II (AICO) Abdulai Rawuf Abubakar, 22, AICO II Nkrumah Alex, 33, and AICO II Philip Oppong, 28, stationed at Nadowli, were charged with murder.
The others, Pogee Antaa Julius, 38, a Unit Committee Chairman of Noro Electoral Area, and a farmer, and Logu Seidu, 49, a relative of Patrick Banoebuuri, the deceased, were also charged with abetment of crime to wit murder.
The Court, presided by Mr Maxwell Maxibrian Titriku, remanded the six suspects to assist the police in investigations into the circumstances that led to the death of the victim.
The facts of the case presented to the court indicated that Patrick Baoebuuri, now deceased, was arrested for allegedly stealing 18 sheep by the members of the community, and 14 of the animals were retrieved, and he was set free.
However, Pogee Antaa Julius, and Logu Seidu led a group from Naro to apprehend Patrick Baoebuuri again in his house at Piree-Kaangu for failing to produce the remaining four sheep.
The victim was handed over to Senior Inspector Adjei Boadi Philip, AICO II Abdulai Rawuf Abubakar, AICO II Nkrumah Alex, and AICO II Philip Oppong, who were on duty at the GIS Checkpoint at Naro, to be “disciplined”.
The court also heard that the four GIS officers “received Baoebuuri Patrick, who was in good health, and took him through ‘frog jump’ during which the victim died.
The court was told that the police conveyed the body to Upper West Regional Hospital for preservation and autopsy.
The case has been adjourned to Monday, March 17.
Meanwhile, the family of Patrick Banoebuuri had appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, and other stakeholders to ensure justice prevailed.
Mr Richard Banoebuuir, a brother of the deceased, cautioned influential personalities in the country, especially the Upper West Region, to desist from interfering in the case. —GNA
