Seeing a dead soldier in Ashaiman means locals killed him? - Pratt questions military

Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has rebuked the Ghana Armed Forces for sending troops to Ashaiman to assault residents in the community in response to the death of a 22-year old military recruit, Imoro Sherrif.

The young soldier was stabbed to death and left in the community by some unknown assailants.

Reason(s) for the murder of the soldier is sketchy, however there are reports that he may have been killed over a woman.

Following the murder, a group of soldiers were conveyed to the Ashaiman community and residents caught were subjected to severe beatings.

Addressing the issue during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' morning show, Kwesi Pratt sought to find out if there is any concrete evidence pointing the young soldier's death to attacks by residents at Ashaiman, hence questioning the logic in the military besieging the community and whipping them.

"Do we know who killed the soldier? How then do we boldly say it is the people of Ashaiman who killed him? Does seeing a soldier dead in Ashaiman mean the Ashaiman residents killed him?", he queried.

He argued that "nobody knows who killed the young man", so "we can't assert that what or those who killed him are from Ashaiman".

To him, "investigations into suspected murder, it is Police duties, not military duties".

He also added that the security personnel, in this case the Military, are supposed to be friends of civilians, not tormentors.

"I've heard people saying we should fear the soldiers . . .we are to love those who protect us, not fear them."