Six persons have been apprehended in connection with the killing of a mourner and the burning of the body of the late Chief of Tehey, Nene Mensah Zotorvie V last Saturday, following disagreement over the burial site at Tehey, a suburb of Sege in the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region.
The prime suspects, who are aged between 30 and 56, include two supposed chiefs and four others who were picked up at different locations.
A self-acclaimed chief of Tehey, who filed the injunction against the burial of the late chief, was also interrogated by the police.
He also challenged the legitimacy of the late Nene Zotorvie V as the chief of Tehey before his death.
Confirming the arrest to DAILY GUIDE, Chief Superintendent George Kumah, Ada Divisional Police Commander, explained that the police are on the heels of the remaining suspects.
According to him, the suspects would be arraigned before court after investigations.
He indicated that police had beefed up security in the town and consequently assured residents of maximum protection to enable them to go about their normal duties without fear of any attack in the town which has been turned into a ghost town.
“We have increased security with 24-hour police patrol in the community, and we are not leaving anything to chance in providing security for the people; we want all of them to return to the village,” Chief Supo Kumah said.
The commander seized the opportunity to appeal to the head teacher and teachers of the Tehey Basic School, who have vacated the town over the incident, to return to continue with their academic activities.
Additionally, the commander appealed to the general public to provide the police with information to enable them promptly and efficiently investigate the matter.
“The police need information to act and without information we will be in the dark so anybody who has any information should contact senior officers of the police service. We can assure them of the protection of their identities at the senior officers’ level. They can even come to me or the regional police commander,” he stated.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ada West, Lawer Akrofi, on his part, disclosed that the District Security Committee (DISEC) had put measures in place to restore peace in the community.
On Saturday, a faction of the Zotorvie family in Ada set ablaze the body of the late chief of Tehey, Nene Zotorvie V in front of his residence when it was being transported to Tehey for burial.
Some men believed to be members of the opposing faction fired live bullets into the mourners which resulted in the death of one Ofori Sabbah and set the vehicle conveying the body of late chief ablaze.
They further used offensive weapons such as clubs, sticks, concrete blocks and metals to attack the mourners.
Earlier, the opposing family filed an interlocutory injunction to restrain the family of the late chief at Tehey from burying him.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema