The Wa Municipal Security Council will be meeting to find a lasting solution to the increasing spate of mob actions in the area.
The meeting follows several incidences of mob attacks on suspected criminals by irate youth groups in the area which left over four suspects killed in the last couple of days.
In an interview with Citi News, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Issahaku Nuhu Putiaha who doubles as the chairman of the Security Council said the upsurge of instant justice in the municipality is a great security concern to the council.
He said: “We are getting worried about the way people are beginning to resort to instant justice but what is more disturbing is that the police are unable to arrest any of the perpetuators”.
The MCE was optimistic the meeting will address the issue and all other security challenges such as land litigation which he said “is also gaining notoriety in the municipality”
A cross section of the public who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity blamed the law enforcement agencies for not doing enough in the fight against crime in the area.
An Assembly member alleged that criminals are usually allowed to go scot-free instead of convicting them to serve as a deterrent to others, saying, “most police personnel here have been compromised in their line of duties and so are unable to interrogate case independently”.
She called for a mass transfer of the police in the area .
The acting Upper West Regional Police PRO, ASP Edmond Nyamekye described the allegations as “erroneous impressions held by the public”.
According to him, “the people don’t follow cases in the law courts and therefore are unable to appreciate what the police are doing”
ASP Nyamekye gave the assurance that all criminal cases including those involving instant justice that are reported to the police will be properly investigated and those found culpable will face the full rigors of the law.
The PRO said as part of efforts to reduce cases of instant justice in the Wa municipality, the police has launched a campaign to educate people to report criminal cases to the police instead of resorting to mob action.
By: Mahama Latif/citifmonline.com/Ghana