Police officers on patrol in Diabene found themselves beating a sharp retreat when members of the community set upon them with hoots, boos, jeers and cheers.

According to JoyNews’ Kojo Yanson, with chants of “Away, Away” and loud cacophonous clanging of pots and pans, the mainly female members of the community who had just finished a press conference at Diabene Market Square in Takoradi in the Western Region, drove the police away.

The families of the missing girls and the community had called the press conference to react to a police statement which said the missing girls are dead.  

Priscilla Blessing Bentum, 21, Priscilla Mantebea Koranchie, 18; Ruth Love Quayson 18, and Ruth Abeka were victims of a kidnapping and murdering syndicate in the Takoradi area, police said. 

The Ag. Inspector of General of Police, James Oppong Boanuh, said at a press conference Monday, that the results of the DNA test on remains retrieved in Takoradi are those of the said girls, who had gone missing more than a year ago.

JoyNews’ Kojo Nyankson reports that the attacks on the police were born out of disappointment at the handling of the situation by the police. 

However, the police who were hooted and driven out of the community said they had stopped as part of a routine patrol.