Ibrahim Mahama
Ghanaian artist and founder of Red Clay Studios and the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA), Ibrahim Mahama, has called for the arrest and prosecution of members of the Inspector General’s (IGP) Special Operations Team, also known as Black Maria, following an alleged assault on him and others in Tamale on Eid day.
At a press conference in Tamale, Mr. Mahama said their bus was caught in heavy traffic while on their way to Eid prayers when a misunderstanding occurred between their driver and officers from the Black Maria team.
He alleged that members of the Black Maria team forcibly entered their bus and began assaulting him after they realised he was recording the incident.
“The Black Maria team pulled my uncle, who was driving us, and started assaulting us. They beat us mercilessly, I have a broken tooth. When I introduced myself, it did not stop the beatings. They pulled us out of the car into theirs and took us to the police station,” he disclosed.
He added that officers ordered him to hand over the videos he had recorded.
“I refused and they continued to beat us, so I was compelled to open the phone for them to delete the videos. The Black Maria leader, Jalil, was at the police station and even attempted to slap me,” he narrated.
Mr. Mahama said the injuries have forced him to cancel international trips.
“Yesterday, I was supposed to travel to the UK, then to the Netherlands and South Africa for work, but I had to cancel. I don’t think I can travel next month because the pain is severe and I have three broken teeth,” he said.
He called for the dissolution of the IGP’s Special Operations Team to protect citizens, stressing, “There’s a need to dissolve the team, otherwise they will go elsewhere and assault other citizens.”
He announced plans to take legal action on the IGP’s Special Operations Team.
“I will take legal action not for me alone but for citizens, because there has been a lot of complaints about the team’s operations from residents,” he added.
The IGP’s Special Operations Team, led by DSP Bawah Abdul Jalil, has denied the assault allegations, saying the team was rescuing Ibrahim Mahama and his people from a mob attack during the traffic incident.
Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) to commence an investigation into the alleged assault.
A police statement said the PPSB inquiry will be conducted alongside a criminal investigation by the Northern Regional Command, and that the outcomes of both investigations will be communicated in due course.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale