Two separate violent incidents, featuring one Baffour Sarpong, popularly known as Okyeman, which attracted nation-wide condemnation are still raising tension within the security service.
Consequently, a security and intelligence expert, Ola Danquah Durojaiye aka Ranger 1, is calling on the President to, as a matter of urgency, constitute an independent committee to investigate the source of Okyeman’s powers and bring to book those using him to perpetuate violence across Eastern region.
Already, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has dissociated himself from Bafuor Sarpong Kumankuma who is purporting to be the Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa.
According to the Okyenhene, Bafuor Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa: “He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.”
The Okyenhene statement was against the backdrop of report that the said BaffourSarpong, on Tuesday, August 25, last year, with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom-Domeabra Constituency and attributed his unlawful conduct to the Okyenhene.
It was that incident nearly ended the lives of two soldiers.
The same Okyeman, whom Ola alleges is an ex. convict on drug-related charges in London it was, who on June 15, this year, allegedly led a marauding gang to invade the sand winning site of Summertide Company at Obeng Yaw village, also near Adeiso, in the Eastern region amidst sporadic firing of gunshots.
According to Ola, his intelligence sources say earlier when Baffour Sarpong and his gang were arrested allegedly with an AK47 a top police officer, on the blindside of the Inspector General Oppong Boanuh, ordered his release.
“It was not until two days later when the IG threatened to detain the Eastern regional Police Commander that he was made to report and put before court. So while the court case is going on, I suggest an independent probe must be launched to unearth those security officers who are using that Baffour Sarpong guy for their bidding,” Ola professed.
Meanwhile, the Koforidua Circuit Court has admitted the five (5) accused persons including an Okyenman who is said to be a casual personnel of the National Security to bail in the sum of GHC200, 000cedis with 2 sureties.
The accused persons are Nana Barfuor Sarpong, Nana BarimaT wum Tarbiade II, both sub-chiefs in Akyem Abuakwa.
The rest are Jonathan Martey, Eric Yaw Obeng, Victor Ahenkora Koranteng, and others at large.
They were arraigned before court on Friday June 19, 2021 on seven charges which are; conspiracy to commit crime to wit kidnapping, Kidnapping, causing unlawful harm, stealing, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, possession of firearm and ammunition
The case has been adjourned to 19th July 2021.
The Prosecuting Officer Cyril Boateng Keteku, Assistant State Attorney explained to the court that, the first complainant in the case, Osae Kwame, 59, is a farmer while the second complainant Alhassan Zakari, 39, is also a farmer.
The third complainant Samuel Astu Forson is Chief of Adeiso also Executive Officer of Summertide sand winning Company.
He said the accused persons are Nana Baffuor Sarpong who claimed to be National Security Personnel attached to Forestry Commission as training Coordinator and timber monitoring officer.
The second accused person Nana Barima Twum Tabirade claimed to be boundary Chief of all Akyem lands. The third accused person Jonathan Martey is a driver to Nana Barfuor , the fourth accused person Eric Yaw Obeng claimed to be aide to the Nana Barfuor, while the fifth accused person Victor Ahenkora Koranteng claimed to be Immigration Officer.
The other accused persons are at large.
The story goes that on June 15, 2021, at about 2:00 pm, the first complainant Osae Kwame was returning from his farm to Adeiso town to buy food for his farm labourers but met the accused persons who were in convoy of three pick-up vehicles and a Jeep vehicle with registration number GS 9835-19, stopped by him, handcuffed and abducted him into one of the Pick-Up vehicles and drove him to Tank Akuraa a farming community near Adeiso .
Police upon receipt of distress calls about the incident rushed to the village and rescued him but the accused persons sped off from the scene and invaded the sand winning site of Summer tide Company at Obeng Yaw village also near Adeiso amidst sporadic firing of gunshots.
The second complainant Alhassan Zakari was shot on the left leg during the indiscriminate firing of gunshots.
They violently arrested five (5) persons at site, whisked them into their vehicles and drove away to unknown location.
The owner of the site alleged he later detected that the accused persons stole Ghc96, 000 at the site during the gun violence.
The five persons arrested by the accused persons were later rescued by Kyebi Police after wireless message was activated by police.
At about 4:20pm, the accused persons were arrested by the Adeiso Police.
A search conducted in a Jeep vehicle belonging to Nana Barfuor Sarpong detected one Ak47 assault rifle, one pistol and three (3) spent shells which were retrieved by the Police.
The victims -Alhassan Zakaria and Bright Apam who sustained gunshot wounds on their legs were receiving treatment at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua.
Ola is also appealing to the Chief Justice to transfer the case to Accra.
Stay tuned…
