In what turns out to be a horrible case of mistaken identity, four wardens at the Ankaful prisons in the Central region have allegedly assaulted an innocent man whom they mistook to be an escaped prisoner.  

JoyNews’ Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reports that the victim, Benjamin Awuah lives with his wife and family close to the Cape Coast Polytechnic.

Benjamin was having a chat with his wife in his home Monday night when four persons; two of them in prisons uniforms, banged on his door and demanded he let them in.

According to Benjamin, when he opened the door, the wardens delivered a hefty slap to his person and handcuffed him, all the while demanding that he “tell the truth” otherwise they would shoot him.

Unwilling to listen to reason, they bundled him up into a vehicle and drove him to the Ankaful prison, all the while assaulting his person.

Benjamin says he was only released after close examination at the prison revealed he was not an inmate, but adds that the ‘wardens’ were unrepentant and did not even offer an apology.

According to him they warned him instead, that he was “lucky” all he got was a beating, and he could have got off with much worse.

A visit to the police resulted in his being handed a medical form to treat his bruises and the incessant ringing in his ear; a parting gift from the hefty slap delivered earlier.

Benjamin is receiving treatment, from an ENT specialist at the Central Regional Hospital, for the damage to his ear and says he will return to file an official report with the police, following their encouragement that he do so.

Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prison Service, ASP Francis Agyiri told Kojo that none of his checks have indicated any prison breaks in the area.

He said that he is awaiting the victim’s filing of an official complaint to the prisons service, in order to determine the exact circumstances of his abuse and detainment, as well as for identification of the alleged officials.

Nonetheless, he assured, they will get to the bottom of the matter.