The Volta Caucus in Parliament has called for a swift investigation into the murder of the Sogakope South Assemblyman, Marcus Mawutor Adzahli, which occurred on Sunday 1st March 2020.
The Caucus also called on the Inspector-General of Police to post more personnel to the district with the requisite logistics to make policing more effective.
The South Tongu District and Sogakope, it said, is one of the strategic areas in the Volta Region as it is the route of numerous transistors from neighbouring Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon.
It stressed such movement comes with huge security challenges that require serious vigilance by the police and national security operatives.
The Caucus, at a media briefing in Parliament and addressed by the MP for South Tongu, Kobena Mensah Woyome, indicated that circumstances under which the Assemblyman was killed so much to be desired from security agents.
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Murder
According to him, the assailants laid siege on the residence of the victim at midnight on that fateful day, fired warning shots and used cement blocks to break the bulletproof door to gain access to his chambers.
Mawutor, he said, shouted for the help of his neighbours but no one attempted a rescue because of the consistent gunshots.
He said, “It is alleged that Mawutor also made a call to the Distract Police Commander to detail some police officers to come to his rescue.”
“The commander told him on the phone that the only patrol vehicle available was on patrol duty around Kpotame, which is just about one kilometre from the crime scene.”
Mr. Woyome noted that several other calls were also made to the Commander but his phone had been switched off.
“Even though there was no visible sign of people coming to his rescue Mawutor continued shouting for help but to no avail,” he added.
The assailants, he said, after dragging Mawutor from his hiding place, shot him several times and also hit his wife on the forehead with a rifle butt.
They then fled the scene with an amount of GH¢30,000 they had initially refused to take in order not to kill him.
Police patrol team
“It was only after the attackers left the crime scene that the police patrol team arrived.”
“They rushed the wife who was bleeding profusely to Sogakope District Hospital for treatment and returned later to take Mawutor’s butchered body to the Sogakope District Hospital Morgue.”
“It was only after the police arrived at the scene that people from the neighbouring houses gained some confidence and started trooping out,” he stated.
The Caucus noted that there was a complete breakdown of security in the District evidenced by the fact that despite the victim’s distress calls to the District Police Commander, it took hours for a patrol team to be dispatched to the scene.
Hon. Kobena stressed the need for a speedy investigation and arrest of the perpetrators to calm the youth and also ensure the security and safety of the people.
He appealed to the Interior Minister and the IGP to do the needful and resolve the situation as quickly as possible, especially as the country heads for the 2020 elections, which comes with its own security implications.
