The late Alhaji Gao
Family of the late Razak Abdul, aka Alhaji Gao, is calling for an independent investigation and the release of his body after the Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, confirmed his death during a press conference.
Speaking for the family, Abdul Aziz Bin Salia said the late Razak was a business partner of the GB Filling Station owner. Both created and operated the station before a misunderstanding arose, leading Razak to sue in court.
“The court ruled that the partner should operate the fuel station for five years and then hand over ownership to Abdul Razak Osuman. After the five years elapsed in 2023, the partner failed to hand over operations,” Bin Salia said.
He said the station manager witnessed two earlier robberies but Razak was never named as a suspect. After the partner failed to comply with the court order, Razak set up his own filling station near GB.
“We therefore find it difficult to understand why our beloved one will now be accused of being behind the current robbery,” Bin Salia said and added, “He was about 60 years old and was never a robbery gang leader.”
According to Bin Salia, after rumours linked Razak to the robbery, he reported himself to Atebubu Police Command. The commander told him Razak’s name had not come up and gave him a personal contact.
The family questioned why Razak’s wife and children were arrested while he was in Accra on business. They alleged that after his return, armed policemen picked him up and assaulted him despite no resistance.
“Since then, we have not set our eyes on our beloved one again, only to hear the IGP during his press conference say Alhaji Gao is dead. Even if he is dead, we want his body released to us,” he pleaded.
The family said they suspect foul play, and are demanding an independent probe.
It would be recalled that IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, at a press conference in Atebubu, reiterated that the case involving robbery at the GB filling station, the police arrested eight suspects including two women.
Three of the suspects namely; Adam Adamu, 27; Sule Amadu Sobah, 22; and Abdulia Ali, 45 are in custody, while the other three suspects Abdul Razak Osuman alias Alhaji Gao, Nuhu Awudu and Daudu Issah passed on in the course of the operation, with the two female suspects who are nursing mothers granted police enquiry bail.
The IGP also reiterated that investigation has so far revealed the main suspect in the case, Abdul Razak Osuman alias Alhaji Gao (now deceased), who was a filling station operator and had contracted one of his gangs, the Nuhu gang, to rob and murder the owner of the GB filling station.
The gang, on the day of the incident, monitored the owner of GB filling station movements, and when they thought he had entered the filling station, they attacked. Unfortunately for the gang, the owner had left the station before the attack, and when they realised they had missed him, they became infuriated and started firing indiscriminately, resulting in the death of two innocent people, while two others sustained gunshot wounds.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee,Sampa