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General News of Wednesday, 22 August 2001

Source: By Alberto Mario Noretti

Police, Soldiers terrorise EGLE Organiser

A GROUP of armed men believed to be police and military personnel last Thursday night besieged the residence of Alhaji M. B. Seidu, National Organiser of the EGLE party, at 'Bolgatanga House' at Mallam Atta in Accra, creating panic and fear amongst members of his household.

They held the household to ransom, ransacked the rooms and also asked Alhaji Seidu to hand over all his “fake money” to them.

This was after they allegedly abducted the night watchman on duty at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) national headquarters, Mr Eric Adzraku, and forced him to direct them to the residence of Alhaji Seidu.

The police and military personnel who were reportedly using three vehicles first drove to the NDC regional headquarters at Kokomlemle before proceeding to the 'Bolgatanga House'.

Narrating his ordeal to the Graphic, Alhaji Seidu said the men arrived at his residence after 10 p.m. in their vehicles which included a police patrol Toyota pick-up, with registration number, GP 1075.

He said some of the policemen and soldiers surrounded the house while about 10 others moved in, and started searching the rooms.

Alhaji Seidu said when he demanded to know their mission and also see their search or arrest warrants, they ignored him, and went ahead with their search before the visibly terrified family and other residents.

He said after their fruitless search, one of the soldiers who gave his name only as Warrant Officer Nyameke, told him that they suspected he had a large sum of money in fake foreign currencies, which they were investigating.

The incident has since left the household and the entire neighbourhood in a state of uncertainty.

The General Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, has described the operation by the policemen and soldiers at the party’s headquarters and Alhaji Seidu’s residence as a “terrorist act and unlawful invasion of the party’s premises”.

He said the matter will not be allowed to rest quietly because neither the NDC nor EGLE Party deals in fake currencies.

When contacted, the Deputy Police Commissioner in-charge of Operations, said the policemen and soldiers who were on an official night patrol duties, might have acted on a tip-off.

However, he said, the occupants of the house have lodged a complaint with the Police Headquarters and were given the assurance that the matter will be promptly investigated.