Ghana: At least 50 arrested over gruesome murder of army officer

Police in Ghana’s Central Region have arrested at least fifty people in connection with the gruesome murder of a military officer.

Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama was mistakenly lynched and his body burnt by a mob at dawn on Monday. He had gone out jogging when the incident occured in a town called Diaso.

Spokesperson of the Ghana Armed Forces Colonel Aggrey Quarshie told local radio Citi FM on Wednesday that 50 people have been arrested in connection with the murder.

The regional minister had on Tuesday confirmed some arrests to local media portal citifmonline.com disclosing that the police had acted on some leads after Tuesday’s investigations.

“We went there and got to know of the full circumstances surrounding the incident … A number of them were arrested but they did screenings to zone in the ones that were likely to have been connected to the incident. They have now been brought to the regional police command.

“Five of them after the screening have been brought to the regional police command in Cape Coast for further investigation, and when a good case is built, it will be referred to the Attorney General’s department for the necessary legal advice,” the minister said.

The Army confirmed on Tuesday that the officer who was in line to be promoted to Major was on official duty in the town. He had been deployed to lead a military team in the area that was clamping down on illegal mining activities.

The army dispatched a high-level team led by the Chief of Army staff to go and ascertain the circumstances surrounding Mahama’s death. His body has since been evacuated from the scene.

There has been an outcry in the West African country calling for the authorities to quickly find the perpetrators of the crime and to bring them to justice. President Akufo-Addo has vowed that the killers will not go unpunished.

Two former presidents have commented on the issue whiles the parliamentary minority have tasked government to put the matter to rest within the shortest possible time.

Social media space in the country continues to mourn the loss of the officer. Most people calling for action on the killers and others raising issues with the threat of mob action.