A Special Operations Team dispatched by the Ghana Police Service to address the rising crime crisis in Kumasi was withdrawn less than 24 hours after it had started patrols in the Ashanti Regional capital. They arrived in Kumasi Wednesday under the command of Bawah Abdul Jalil and Samuel Mustapha Abenzuo and quickly embarked on intelligence-driven patrols of crime-prone areas in Kumasi with the aim to cut back on crime. They were supposed to clamp down on crimes ranging from robbery and drug smuggling to violent assault and illegal possession of weapons.
The operation involved 111 personnel and 10 service vehicles, including an armoured carrier and a Black Maria for moving suspects. The officers carried out extensive patrols at critical locations; near the Manhyia Palace enclave, for instance; and then moved in on a local drug trafficking hot spot dubbed “Tinker Island.” On the spot, the team arrested 19 suspects in the initial phase of the exercise in connection with drug-related offenses.
The first operation was a success, but the team was suddenly summoned and sent back to the Police Headquarters in Accra for subsequent assignments. The sudden exit has set residents raising widespread public anxiety and questioning the decision and hints at interference from the outside. “We started to feel safer when we were seeing them there so the sudden recall is concerning,” one resident said, according to reports. The Ghana Police Service has not made any formal statement explaining the need for the team’s withdrawal.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
