KILLED! Sgt. Dzamasi and L/Cpl Awal Mohammed
Two police officers were shot dead yesterday by suspected armed robbers at a place called Big Apple near Budumburam, Kasoa, in the Central Region.
The dead cops have been identified as Sgt Michael Dzamasi, a service driver, and L/Cpl Awal Mohammed – both personnel of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) detachment at Kasoa in the Central Region.
Information DAILY GUIDE gathered shortly after the incident indicated that C/Inspector Quansah and five other cops including G/Sgt Dzamesi and L/Cpl Awal of the Kasoa Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) detachment were assigned taskforce duties on the Kasoa-Winneba highway shortly after noon yesterday, and while performing their duties they spotted an unregistered vehicle.
The Toyota Camry saloon car was given a hot chase by Sgt Dzamasi, the service driver, and L/Cpl Awal, also in their Toyota Camry service car with registration number GP 3632.
In the course of the pursuit, three suspects in the car stopped and came out and instantly fired a weapon killing Sgt Dzamasi instantly with five shots to his head. L/Cpl Awal died later in hospital.
They sped off in the car and abandoned it later at Kokrobite. A search on it showed a Ruger pistol with registration number 343-61265, bearing the name Eric Kojo Duah. Also recovered were a six 40mm spent shells.
Three suspects – Ibrahim Zakaria, Isaac Amissah and Dominic Commey – have been arrested for allegedly being behind the shooting.
The remains of the two police officers have been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue awaiting post-mortem.
In the past fortnight, the police have suffered casualties through gunshots from criminals in the Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions. Earlier, a policewoman was shot dead by armed robbers on the outskirts of Tamale.
These fatal occurrences have put the safety of the police on the front burner of national conversation.
MTTD personnel whose duties entail ensuring discipline on the roads through the enforcement of existing road traffic regulations are unarmed and so the latest fatality to hit the police has amazed many since the officers were not on bank guard duties or night patrols.
By A.R. Gomda & Linda Tenyah-Ayettey