A victim of the brutality displaying his wound
Some residents of Darkuman, a suburb in Accra, are accusing officers from the Darkuman Police Station of aiding and protecting a vigilante group that allegedly brutalised and robbed community members during a police operation over the weekend.
According to eyewitnesses, a police swoop on Saturday, purportedly aimed at clamping down on drug dealers and users around Darkuman Wireless and Cable, descended into chaos, with residents alleging that a group of armed vigilantes accompanied the police and violently attacked civilians.
Victims claim the alleged vigilantes, wielding knives, shovels, and other dangerous weapons, assaulted people in full view of armed police officers, with some accusing a senior officer, identified as Chief Quansah, of directly participating in the assaults.
The operation left several wooden structures, including makeshift shops, destroyed.
Numerous residents reportedly sustained injuries, while mobile phones and other valuables were stolen during the raid.
In interviews with Accra 100.5 FM’s journalist Samuel Addo, residents expressed shock at what they described as a “lawless and brutal attack sanctioned by the very officers meant to protect them.”
“We understand and respect police authority, especially when it comes to cracking down on crime. But what happened here was criminal,” one resident said. “They didn’t just arrest suspects; they attacked innocent people and stole from them.”
Residents say this is the fourth time such an incident has occurred, fuelling suspicion that the police are knowingly working with the vigilante group under the guise of community operations.
They are now calling on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and other senior officials of the Ghana Police Service to urgently investigate the matter and bring all responsible officers and accomplices to justice.
In an off-camera conversation, the Darkuman Police Commander, who sanctioned the operation, confirmed that officers were indeed deployed to the area.
However, he denied knowledge of any vigilante group being part of the operation, claiming he was unaware of the alleged misconduct.
Residents, however, insist they will not remain silent and are prepared to take further action if the authorities fail to intervene.
