John Mahama urges restrain in military- Ashaiman conflict

Former President John Mahama has urged the military establishment to refrain from exacting extra-judicial justice on the people of Ashaiman, following the murder of a young soldier in the municipality.

In a Facebook post in reaction to reports of a military invasion and brutalising of residents of Ashaiman, a community near Tema, on Tuesday, Mr. Mahama who shared his sympathies with the family of the dead soldier, noted that “there are obviously many people who live and work in Ashaiman who are innocent of this heinous crime.”

He asked the Ghana Armed Forces to exercise restraint and allow for due process to take its course and allow for investigations to be conducted to “apprehend and prosecute perpetrator(s) of the dastardly act.”

A young soldier, Imoro Sherrif, was stabbed to death on Saturday March 04, 2023, and found in a pool of blood near the Amania Hotel in Ashaiman. The military has since confirmed that it sanctioned what it says was an intelligence-led operation on Tuesday to apprehend the people responsible the soldier’s murder.

“As your former Commander in Chief, I do appreciate how such unexpected deaths affect the Force”, President Mahama stated, adding, “I am deeply saddened by the death of one of our soldiers, at such a young age, in Ashaiman.”

Mr. Mahama expressed his deepest condolences and that of his wife, Lordina, to the bereaved and grieving family, and the officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The former president also conveyed his sympathy to the victims of the Ashaiman attack by the soldiers.

“I pray we find peace and harmony in our dear country, as the government and state institutions immediately step in to address this potentially inflammatory development between Ashaiman and the Ghana Armed Forces; including providing commensurate compensation for all persons affected”, he added.