Chairperson of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Security Committee, DCOP Lydia Donkor, has disclosed that the stabbing incident which led to the death of Francis Yaw Frimpong, popularly known as Nana Pooley, did not occur within the premises of Nana Koramansah II Park as widely believed.
According to the senior officer of the Ghana Police Service, the evidence gathered, including from the scene as part of the ongoing investigation, shows that the late Asante Kotoko fan was stabbed outside of the home grounds of Nsoatreman FC.
“We had to go and investigate; we’ve been to the ground and gathered our evidence and everything. So it’s important to make that distinction that the unfortunate stabbing did not happen inside the stadium, although it’s related to football activity,” She told Joy FM.
DCOP Donkor explained that the stabbing incident occurred outside the stadium; however, the rider of a tricycle picked up the deceased and dropped him at the stadium with the belief of getting him medical attention.
“No, it didn’t happen inside the stadium, and I have to say this because there are all kinds of sayings. People are saying how did the police allow someone to come into the stadium with a knife, and let me mention that the police have a strict search regime.
“At least that is something that I speak with my various commanders about, and we insist, and we do it. There is a strict search regime; when you are entering the stadium, we search everybody who is coming in, and this unfortunate incident didn’t happen inside the stadium.
“It was outside, and after he had been stabbed, he was picked up by a driver in this vehicle they call aboboyaa or something, a tricycle, and dropped him at that section of the stadium. I believe that he did that because he knew that the ambulance was at that side,” she explained.
Pooley tragically lost his life during a violent clash between fans at the Ghana Premier League match between Nsoatreman and Asante Kotoko on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at the Nana Konamansah Park.
The Ghana Police Service has since announced the arrest of multiple suspects, including the owner of Nsoatreman FC, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, who has since been granted bail.
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