Residents of Ashaiman are demanding justice following the military raid on the community on March 7, 2022.
Soldiers invaded Ashaiman to brutalise some residents and arrested 184 suspects, with 34 still in custody following the stabbing of their colleague Sherrif Imoro on March 4
The slain soldier was laid to rest on Thursday, March 9 at the Burma Camp cemetery in Accra.
Opinion leaders in the community, led by the Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adjor, addressed a press conference on Thursday, March 9, 2023, dubbed “Ashaiman Lives Matter” to condemn the attack and killing of the young soldier, Sherrif Imoro, and the reprisal attacks by the soldiers.
READ ALSO: Slain soldier Imoro Sheriff laid to rest
While condemning the killing of the 21-year-old soldier and commiserating with the family of the deceased, the opinion leaders called on the police to speed up their investigations and bring the perpetrators to book.
They further called on President Akufo-Addo to order the immediate release of all residents of Ashaiman that the soldiers were “illegally” keeping in their custody.
The group also urged the Assembly to provide street lights in all communities in Ashaiman, as darkness was a contributing factor to criminal activities in the area.
READ ALSO: Ashaiman military brutality: Operation was not to avenge soldier's death - GAF
They called on the media, civic society groups, professional bodies like the Ghana Bar Association, religious bodies, and others to join the residents of Ashaiman in condemning the violence and criminal acts of the soldiers.
The Regent of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adjor, condemned the killing of the soldier and the retaliation meted out by the soldiers on the residents, stating that “Ghana is a democratic country, and human rights and the rule of law must be preserved at all times.”
The MP for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey, advised residents not to take the law into their own hands but trust their leaders in the community to fight for justice on their behalf.
He pledged to table the matter before the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament for justice to prevail and compensation paid to the affected persons.
Messrs Aheto and Agbesi, past MPs of the Ashaiman Constituency, as well as leaders of the NDC and NPP in the Constituency, all condemned the incident and the resultant violence unleashed on the people of Ashaiman.