Two male officers of the Ghana National Fire Service in Damongo in the Savannah Region are in Police custody over the death of a twenty-seven-year-old man in Damongo.
Their counterparts in the alleged murder numbering about 10, are said to be on the run.
A check at the Damongo police station revealed that the two suspects were in police detention.
Myjoyonline later caught up with the elder brother of the deceased, Zackaria Mudase, who bemoaned the demise of his younger brother with parts of his body burnt and left with iron marks.
“It was Saturday [9th November, 2023] between 5pm and 6pm that a woman came to the house demanding to see our brother, Shariq Nuhu. Then we told them that he wasn’t available. So, later on, at about 8:30pm, two guys [fire officers] together with an okada rider came with the deceased handcuffed. We asked about their mission and they said our brother stole their mattress and they were searching for it. Later, we found out they were fire officers.”
According to him, their brother died as a result of the alleged brutality he received from the fire officers who handcuffed him to the house and took him back.
When asked about the possible cause of death, Mr Zackaria Mudase stated that his brother may have died due to the assault by the suspects.
“Yes, there’s no doubt that he did not die out of the brutalities because he was not sick, neither has he complained of any illness. So, I believe that he died from the beatings and this was carried out by the fire officers”he alleged.
At the Savannah Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service, a senior officer who pleaded to remain anonymous, confirmed to Myjoyonline that the two suspects, whose names were withheld are attached to the West Gonja Municipal Command.
He however expressed surprise over the involvement of the suspects adding that the command would cooperate with the police on matters regarding the two suspects.
The youth of the area have since laid the deceased to rest in line with Islamic tradition.