Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama
The gruesome and barbaric murder of a young Army officer, Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama, by a mob at Denkyira Obuasi in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region sent shockwaves across the country late Monday and throughout Tuesday.
The military confirmed his murder in a statement.
“The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) regrets to confirm the death of its officer, Capt MA Mahama of 5 Battalion of Infantry.
“Initial report indicates the officer was lynched by locals of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region whilst he was jogging at about 08.30 am on Monday, 29 May, 2017, under circumstances yet to be verified.
“The officer was the detachment commander of our troops on operational duties in the general area,” a statement signed by Colonel E Aggrey-Quashie, Director, Public Relations, indicated.
President Akufo-Addo, commiserating with the family of the deceased, pledged to track down the perpetrators.
Alarmed by the gruesome murder of the army officer, President Akufo-Addo in a series of tweets assured, “No one involved in his murder will go free,” consoling the family of Captain Mahama “on their tragic loss.”
The president continued, “I assure them that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be arrested and dealt with in accordance with the laws of our country.”
Captain Mahama’s colleague officers and men of 5 Battalion of Infantry at Arakan Barracks were particularly hit by the gruesome murder of a promising young officer who unconfirmed reports have it that he had written his promotion examination, the successful outcome of which would have seen him change his epaulettes to a Major’s.
Captain Mahama was said to be jogging in the town when he stopped at a point to ask for a direction – perhaps having lost his way – and that was when trouble reared its head against the officer who really meant no harm.
This theory has however, been knocked off by a subsequent one which suggested that he never stopped to ask for direction from anybody and that he was trailed by persons who are averse to the anti-galamsey war being waged by the state.
He is said to have been in the town for the past three weeks, having relieved a colleague officer as Commander of the platoon of soldiers on galamsey duties.
His colleague was said to have gone to write a promotion examination.
The woman from whom he allegedly sought direction was said to have called in the assemblyman who raised an alarm, whereupon the youth descended upon the officer and lynched him eventually – a theory debunked by emerging facts.
He suffered a painful death, having been pelted with stones and cement bricks, with pictures showing the body set on fire, which revolted everybody who saw them.
He had a side weapon, a pistol which under the emerging circumstances, he used to fire at a man who pinned him down. That man is said to be on admission at a nearby hospital under armed guard. The Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, in his remarks on the subject, said when the injured man was found, he would provide critical leads to events leading to the death of Captain Adam.
The minister at the time of his remarks did not perhaps know that the injured man was in hospital.
As a developing story, the murder of Captain Mahama was in a flux even at the time of composing it, various theories characterizing it.
The theory that he could have been mistaken for an armed robber could not pass muster because it was during the day and having been in town for three weeks, he was known by the residents, since report says jogging had been his regular feature.
The aforementioned theory was knocked off by the fact that being a regular jogger and who knew the town too well as a soldier with the ability to take note of routes, he could not have stopped anywhere to ask traders for directions.
This has been described as an afterthought by those responsible for the murder of the soldier.
Being a galamsey town, the conclusion was drawn by many that he was murdered under the disturbing circumstances because he was Commander of soldiers allegedly fighting galamsey in the town.
Captain Mahama, it has also been learnt, was known in the town and that a day before his murder, he had stopped a group of galamsey activists, thereby stepping on the toes of many in the town who sought their pound of flesh.
The town is also known to have recorded armed robberies in recent past, the Chinese in the galamsey business being the targets.
Late Monday social media were abuzz with pictures of the late officer, depicting Lieutenant and Captain pips on his epaulettes. Viewers could not hold back their murmurs and anguish when they were compelled to view the gory pictures of the bloody remains of the deceased stripped naked before killing him.
The deceased, son of a retired Captain Adam, is said to have attended the Akosombo International School and hailed from Bole in the Northern Region.
Many are demanding the arrest of the assemblyman, William Baah, who even though eventually reported the murder of the officer to the police, allegedly played a critical role in the gruesome development.
He is said to be small scale miner himself and certainly uncomfortable with the idea of using soldiers to stamp out the illegality.
5 Arrested
According to the Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Irene Oppong, about 50 people were earlier arrested in a swoop in the area but after screening, 45 of them were freed by the military team.
ASP Oppong told DAILY GUIDE that the five suspects were being transported from the town to the regional police command for further investigations.
The Police PRO said on Monday, May 29, 2017, the assembly man for Denkyira Obuasi electoral area, William Baah, reported at the station that at about 9:30am, he had a distress call from one of the foodstuff sellers along the highway that she had seen a man with a pistol hidden on his back and suspected him to be an armed robber.
ASP Oppong said that the assembly man told the police that two of his colleagues accompanied him to the direction as narrated by the informant, where they met the deceased in the outskirts of the town.
Mr William Baah claimed that when they met the Captain the latter pulled a pistol but he (Baah) managed to flee, leaving behind his colleagues.
The PRO said police quickly proceeded to the scene only to find the man lynched by an unknown mob; the victim suffering multiple deep cuts on his head and parts of his body. He was eventually set on fire.
The body has since been deposited at the mortuary of the Dunkwa-On-Offin government hospital.
ASP Oppong told DAILY GUIDE that a delegation from the military, led by the Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Ayamdo, and the regional police commander, DCOP Ampah Bennin, had visited the crime scene.
Many residents were beaten up by soldiers when they descended upon the town.
Some residents were camped in a church while others fled for fear of reprisal attacks.
By A.R. Gomda& Sarah Afful, Cape Coast