Heavily armed military and police officers have been captured on amateur videos rampantly torturing civilians they claim had breached the lockdown directives that started today March 30, 2020.
On one Video sighted by Whatsup News, a soldier was openly threatening to kill a hapless civilian whom they were subjected to gruelling torture to allegedly disobeying the lockdown protocol.
Women and men have been seen being beaten or subjected to tortuous regimen like rolling on the floor, being “Wheelbarrowed” or being flogged in what disturbingly re-enacts a total state of anarchy.
There are eyewitness reports of security officers indiscriminately targeting civilians who had tangible reasons to go out to for essential items such as food items, medications or mobile network credits.
The unbridled brutalities have attracted the attention of the Journalists for Human Rights, who issued a statement condemning the actions of the security personnel deployed to oversee lockdown adherence.
“We will crave the indulgence of our revered security operatives to act professionally and not subject civilians to needless brutalities but manage people in a manner that will consolidate the hard-won peace and stability being enjoyed in the country,” the media watchdog stated.
“In the face of the prevailing situation, we further wish to caution the general public particularly, residents in Accra, Tema and Kumasi to allay fears and go strictly by the president’s directive to enable the police and the military have a violent free operation.”
From the response of residents who have been subjected to brutalities, it is clear President Akufo Addo failed to clearly spell out the exact terms of the lockdown as both the trigger-happy security officers and civilians are to total confusion on what constitutes acceptable movement during the lockdown and what is not.
Last Friday, President Akufo Addo announced the unprecedented lockdown in a move to contain the rapidly spreading Covid-19 coronavirus in Ghana.
The first round of lockdown has affected the Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Obuasi and some parts of the Central Region.
Already, Ghana has recorded 5 deaths and 152 infections from the deadly Covid-19