It has been a month since the gruesome murder of Marcus Mawutor Adzahli, the Assemblyman for Sogakope South who was trapped in his own home shot by a gang of robbers who also stabbed his wife and put a bullet in his daughter.
In the past 30, days, the family of the victim and the townsfolk, say interesting questions have blossomed around the murder, including allegations that a missing rifle belonging to the Sogakofe Police may have been used for the murderous attack.
Opinion leader for the area, Maxwell Lukutor, is demanding that opacity around the investigations into the murder be cleared so that answers to burning questions, including, whether the Police rifle was indeed a weapon that was used by the robbers, be answered.
“It’s very important to note that, as part of rifle assigned to Sogakope Police Station in the Volta Region which citizens believe was missing before the murder was allegedly found in Sapeiman near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region under bizarre circumstances. This revelation was in sharp contrast to the reports by DISEC that the missing gun was just a prank by another police officer on the Officer in charge who allegedly slept on duty. The world is interested in knowing the truth behind this two stories,” Mr. Lukutor stated in a release to the press.
A month ago, Marcus Adzahli was besieged in his home by a gang of armed robbers, who broke into his house and shot him dead before taking away a safe believed to be containing money.
Before the robbers who also stabbed the Assemblyman’s wife and shot his daughter could break into the house, the family had sent several distress calls to the Sogakope Police, but none had been answered.
The development annoyed youth of the area who nearly had a confrontation with the inept Police. However, even before the dust would settle, it emerged that a rifle belonging to the Sogakope Police had mysteriously gone missing.
The Police had quickly said that the missing rifle had nothing to do with the gruesome murder and robbery, however, a month down the line, the people of Sogakope point out that questions have come to dangle on the disclaimer by the Police.
according to them, the rifle went missing because a colleague officer of the weapon bearer had hidden it while he was asleep to pull a prank on the sleeping officer.
However, Mr. Maxwell Lukutor points out that the claim by the Police about the rifle lacks foundation in logic.
“Where are the two Police officers who were arrested in connection with the missing rifle? Are they on interdiction? Is it the same rifle that was allegedly found in Sapeiman? If yes, how did it get there? If no, has it been found? Is this standard practice?
“It was also alleged that it was the same rifle that was used in committing the crime. How true is it?,” Mr. Lukutor asked.
According to him, a strange opacity around the Police’ investigation into the crime has shut the family out and left the late Assemblyman’s loved ones who want to perform his funeral rites in May, stranded and confused.
“According to the DCE, who is the chairman of DISEC, that the Coroner’s report indicated that the cartridge found in the body of the late Assembly Member was a BB cartridge. Which report is he quoting from since the family has no such detailed report?
“How sure are we that same institution being indicted for negligence will give a report that will further implicate their own,’ Mr. Lukutor asked.
He called on President to institute an independent probe into the crime, away from the Sogakope Police, which he said had lost the confidence of the people and ought to be removed from the district by mass transfer.
He also demanded more openness around the investigation into the crime; “as we Speak, about Ten (10) suspects were arrested from different locations including those that were widely publicized (arrested from a hideout in Kasoa) in direct connection with this murder. We understand some confessed to the committal of the robbery and murder.
“Out of the several people arrested and after screening, five (5) were sent to the Dabala Magistrate court and remanded in police custody,” he said wondering where the investigations have reached.