The Commanding Officer of 4 Battalion, Lt Col Kwasi Ware Peprah, has described as unfortunate, the death of two people when security operatives clashed with some protesting youth in Ejura on Tuesday, June 29.

Appearing before the three-member committee investigating the disturbances which led to the injury of four others on Wednesday, Lt Col Peprah said the aim of the military was not to kill.

According to him, if that was the intention of the security personnel, “we would have gotten not less than 100 people dying. It is just unfortunate [people died].”

The Commander also refuted the claim of using live bullets to disperse the crowd since this can be fatal.

He stated that some protestors were also wielding guns and firing back upon the arrival of the security operatives.

“You see, the soldiers started firing into the air, if you are not a professional and there is another gun firing you wouldn’t know. And that is how come some people are saying that they [the protestors] were not handling weapons.

“When an M16 rifle fires, I know.  When a G3 rifle fires, I know but the ordinary citizen and the media wouldn’t know. All you will hear is gunshots into the air. And since it started when the soldiers came, you will assume that it is only soldiers who are firing,” he said.

Responding to why an ambulance was not at the scene, Lt Col Peprah said his outfit is not responsible for getting ambulances for casualties.

“I think the Ejura administration as well as maybe the police should have considered the ambulance issue because we the Calm life Operation are not structured that way, we only react to incidents.”

A three-member committee has been set up after President Akufo-Addo gave the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, 10 days to provide a detailed report on the incident which also led to the death and injury of some residents in Ejura.

The deceased met their untimely death while demonstrating against the murder of their colleague, Ibrahim Mohammed, also known as Kaaka, which had occurred a few days before the disturbance.

The committee members include; George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal as Chairman, Security Analyst, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, Juliet Amoah, Executive Director of Penplusbyte, a civil society organisation.