Some traders at the Ashaiman Market have expressed outrage at the alleged killing of a man by a military officer on Sunday morning.

The agitated traders told Joy News that the military officer's narration of the turn of events are inaccurate.

The eyewitnesses claim the deceased, a homeless truck pusher in his mid-30s was killed after he was ordered by a soldier to leave the market.

The traders' outrage comes amid calls for justice for the deceased who died after he was allegedly shot by a soldier enforcing the president’s lockdown directives as part of measures to control the spread of Covid-19.

The civilian was said to have engaged in a scuffle with the officer, after he reportedly tried to resist an arrest, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, revealed on JoyNews’ The Lockdown on Sunday.

The Military High Command has, in a release, said the civilian was being arrested on suspicion of indulging in illegal conduct contrary to the Narcotics Act.

“Initial reports are that the suspect in resisting arrest attempted to disarm the soldier leading to a struggle during which the soldier’s rifle accidentally went off,” Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. Eric Aggrey-Quarshie, said in a release.

But the traders have discounted this explanation.

“The soldier whipped him with a cane. But the third time, the civilian held the cane. Then the soldier went back to make a short phone call. Immediately he returned, he fired at the man.

"So we want to know who gave him the authority to shoot the man,” one of the workers at the market recounted.

Another female trader said, “I thought he was going to fire a warning shot…but he just pointed the gun at his throat and shot. The bullet came out at the back of his head.”

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament (MP) Ashaiman Ernest Norgbey has described the killing as "wicked and barbaric."

He said contrary to the military's claim, there was disproportionate use of force.

The GAF has stated that it will initiate an investigation into the development and make the findings public.

But Mr Nogbe is calling for that investigation to be an independent one as he believes the exercise will amount to nothing if the outfit’s preliminary findings is anything to go by.

“If they (military) can tell you that the man was found offending the narcotic rules and he was struggling with the military officer and the riffle went off, you can predict what the outcome of the investigation will be.”