Lawyers representing the families of two men who were killed and other individuals currently in police custody have called for an independent investigation into a police operation conducted at Zuarungu in the Upper East Region on April 29, 2026.
In a press statement issued by Libran Consults, the legal representatives questioned aspects of the Ghana Police Service’s account regarding the alleged dismantling of a robbery gang in the region.
According to the statement, the lawyers acknowledged the police’s constitutional mandate to maintain law and order, but argued that some details in the police account were inconsistent with information available to the affected families and eyewitnesses.
The statement claimed that on the night of April 29, the individuals involved were at their residence in Zuarungu when police officers entered the premises and made multiple arrests.
The lawyers said the suspects were seated and conversing at the time, insisting that there was no exchange of gunfire or armed confrontation as suggested in the police narrative.
The legal team further stated that about ten individuals were arrested and transported to the Zuarungu Police Station, where they remained in custody.
The statement goes on to say that four of those arrested were later released without charge the following day, which they said suggested that not all the persons apprehended were considered culpable during preliminary investigations.
The statement also alleged that at about 9:45 a.m. on April 30, one of the suspects, identified as Safianu Seidu, was removed from police custody at the Zuarungu Police Station and taken to an undisclosed location.
According to the lawyers, subsequent enquiries by family members at the Bolgatanga Police Command indicated that the suspects were being transferred to Accra by officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID).
The families expressed concern after learning through a police public statement that two individuals — Safianu Seidu, described as a social worker at the Zuarungu District Assembly, and Shamsudeen Mohammed, a professional nurse at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital — had allegedly sustained gunshot wounds during what police described as an “operation” and later died.
The lawyers argued that the circumstances surrounding the deaths raise serious constitutional and human rights concerns, emphasising that persons arrested or detained by the police are entitled to protection under the Constitution, including the rights to life, dignity, and due process.
The lawyers have therefore called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the deaths of the two men.
They also urged the Ghana Police Service to disclose the full chain of events relating to the arrest, detention, movement, and alleged operational deployment of the deceased persons, including custody records and transfer logs.
Additionally, the legal representatives appealed to involve independent oversight institutions, particularly the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), to ensure transparency and public confidence in the investigative process.
The lawyers further indicated that the families reserve the right to pursue constitutional and civil legal action over what they described as a prima facie case of unlawful deprivation of life.
They also called on civil society organisations and the general public to demand accountability and adherence to the rule of law in matters involving persons in state custody.
The Ghana Police Service earlier announced that it had dismantled a robbery gang in the Upper East Region during an intelligence-led operation, resulting in arrests and the deaths of two suspects.
Last week, families and friends of the two deceased men held a press conference and raised issues similar to the ones detailed by the lawyers.
The police are yet to respond to the claims with the Upper East Regional Command, indicating last week that the case is under further investigation and a response would come from the national headquarters, when the need arises.
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