Former NDC Capo Resists Suspected State-Sponsored Assassination

A former national security honcho who served under the Mahama government has alerted the public that his life may be in danger after he managed to foil what appeared to be a state-sponsored attempt to assassinate him.

Col. Appiah in a write-up narrates how heavily armed officers from national security besieged his house around 11 pm and tried to lure him out of his compound under the pretense of inviting him for questioning at the Police Headquarters.

According to him, it took his experience as a former national security operative to detect that while one of five officers on that nocturnal mission was trying to convince him to open his gate, four others had taken strategic positions in the surrounding darkness ready to fire.

The experienced former security operative’s refusal to open his gates and accompany the five security operatives in response to a so-called invitation for questioning was what reportedly saved his life.

“Am making it public to my friends and colleagues as a precautionary notice just in case something nasty happens to me later in a different form and you might have to come to my funeral,” Col. Appiah wrote.

According to him, at about 11 pm on Saturday night, the squad of five heavily armed officers dressed in combat gear, flag jackets and hoods, invaded  his house in a white pick-up with tinted glasses and tried to forcibly arrest him.

The assailants had claimed that he was wanted for questioning at the anti-terrorism unit of the Headquarters Police.

“I asked them what was my crime at this time of the night and they told me that, they were under orders to bring me to the Police Headquarters-( Anti-Terrorist Unit ) for investigations. I insisted to know my terrorist offense or crime against the state for which they have been sent. They said, when I get there I will know. I refused to open my gate and told them that, I was not scared of them and their weapons and no one can intimidate me in this country. Being a former NDC Security Capo isn’t a crime. They can only choose to shoot me in my compound because I was only in my singlet, shorts and slippers without any weapon in my hand.” 

“They said they are not going to kill me in my house or shoot me. So I further asked them, so why the weapons and at this time of the night? Why are some of you taking tactical positions beside the pillars of my gate? So I asked for their names and rank but only one of them told me of his rank as a corporal in the police service.”

Col. Appiah writes that he questioned the officer speaking to him as to why the Police anti-terrorism Unit and National Security sent he, a Corporal, to lead an operation to arrest somebody over supposed threat to national security. 

To this, a shamefaced Corporal who had refused to mention his name then placed a call on his phone and tried to hand the phone to Col. Appiah through a serrate in his gate, so he could supposedly speak to the Commander who had sent the squad to arrest him. Col. Appiah narrates that he refused to take the handset believing it was a trap.

“I said no. I won’t talk to anyone on a mobile phone this time of the night left alone for you people to have my fingerprints on your phone. I told them I was going back into my house and if they like, they can shoot me right now but I won’t go with them willingly. I then stop and asked them, what if it is your plan to shoot me on the way to your headquarters and later claim that I was trying to escape or disarm one of you so I was shot? They were quiet then with one of them bowing his head and couldn’t look me in the eye anymore. I told them, I have been in this game for years so tell your boss not to send you young ones to me at this time. I will report on Monday by 10am if that is okay with you people but not this night.”

After he had made it clear that he was not going to open his gate or go with them to the Police Headquarters at that unholy hour, he writes that the squad leader then suggested that he reports to the Police Station on Sunday. But he told them he would not report at the Police Station on that day either since Sundays are days on which he worships.

Col Appiah insisted that he could only be available on Monday and would consider reporting to the Police then since the squad that had come to arrest him did not present any warrant.

“They stood behind my gate for some time making calls and later told me they will call me to report at 8am today. Am still waiting for their call,” Col Appiah wrote indicatingh the call never came through as promised by the squad.