Relatives of persons accused in a recent incident involving the police in Ejura leading to the death of a police officer have vehemently denied the accusations against their family members.

They insist that the accused are men of integrity, in stark contrast to the claims made by law enforcement.

One of the accused, Alhaji Wahab, is not only described as a law-abiding citizen but is well-regarded for his role as an informant to the police, actively assisting them in curbing criminal activities within the municipality.

The family maintains that both Alhaji Wahab and the other accused individuals, Abubakar and Sualisu, are decent citizens who make an honest living through farming and private businesses.

"Alhaji Wahab is a law abiding citizen, largely regarded as amongst the top three large scale farmers within the Ejura/Sekyedumase Municipality. He’s financially sound and takes care of a large family.

"Abubakar and Sualisu are equally decent in their lives who work on their farms and their private businesses to earn a living and cannot be said to be armed robbers because they are not.

The three in custody, according to the family are decent men with integrity who lived their lives well to the attestation of all within Ejura and the country at large,” the family said.

Describing the chain of events, the family explained that on October 9th, 2023, Alhaji Wahab responded to a distress call reporting the presence of armed individuals on the road in Sarkyi Kura.

Upon receiving the report, he swiftly contacted the Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Bismark Achaab, urging him to deploy officers to address the alleged robbery threat.

"Most usually, the police on their operations on the road will involve Alhaji Wahab since he is from the village.

"He then asked one of his labourers, Abubakar Ibrahim to pick him on his motorbike in the company of one Salisu as he always does when incidents of that nature are reported to him."

The family's spokesperson, Adams Alhassan, elaborated on the events of that fateful day. Alhaji Wahab, along with two laborers, Abubakar Ibrahim and Salisu, waited for the police to arrive. As they reached the junction to Sarkyi Kura, they encountered a mysterious unlicensed vehicle blocking the road.

Perceiving it as suspicious, Alhaji Wahab initially lingered but eventually decided to move past it. Tragically, this led to an ambush, with the hidden assailants opening fire.

Alhaji Wahab and one of his laborers sustained gunshot wounds. In self-defense, Alhaji Wahab retaliated, and the police patrol team arrived shortly thereafter to transport him and the injured laborer to the hospital.

"Then the police patrol team arrived and took him and the labourer to the hospital who also sustained a gunshot on his hip.

We implore you the media to ascertain the veracity of this information to unearth the truth in this whole matter to get the public and family of the deceased well informed."

The family is now urging the media to investigate the details of this incident to unearth the truth, ensuring the public and the deceased's family are well-informed.

Concerning the police's initial statements, which claimed intelligence about a pending robbery at a Mobile Money Vendor in Ejura, the family disputes this version of events.

They point out the absence of any Mobile Money Vendor nearby, raise questions about the lack of communication with the Municipal Police Command, and query the use of an unmarked vehicle during the operation.

Furthermore, they insist that the robbery narrative was an afterthought to conceal operational inadequacies. The family also contests the claim of a shootout with armed robbers, highlighting that the accused willingly reported to the Ghana Police Service in Ejura and were subsequently detained.

"Let’s even assume without admitting it was true. The incident happened at a place where there is no Mobile Money Vendor anywhere near the place.

Secondly, we are reliably informed the said Police Officers did not inform the Municipal Police Command about their presence in the municipality. So where did they gather the Intel from? Besides there was Police Patrol Team on the road that day through to the night, why didn’t they make their presence known to them?
Why did the Police decide to hide their official operation vehicle in the bush at the entrance of Ejura and used an unlicensed saloon car for operations? There are more mysteries to this that the media needs to assist us demystify it. Which MOMO Vendor or Vendors made an official complaint to the Police Service over the said robbery attack."

The relatives and residents are now calling for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to oversee and review the operations of the Police Investigative Department (PID), believing that their actions have been a source of turmoil within the police service.

They're also urging the government to intervene and secure the release of their family members.