Lecturer in police grip for inciting mob against police

A lecturer at the Valley View University College, Mr. Emmanuel Opata has been arrested and placed behind bars for allegedly inciting a group of people to attack police officers and court officials who had gone to accomplish an order of execution by an Accra High Court.

The mob, numbering about 50, set ablaze a bull-dozer, which was working on the disputed land and almost succeeded in destroying a police pick-up vehicle that took the policemen to the site, but for the bravery of the driver.

Mr. Opata has, as a result, been charged with Abetment of Crime, contrary to Section 20, sub-section 1 of the 1992 constitution. So far, eight persons, including the Valley View lecturer are behind bars.

Briefing The Chronicle, Superintendent Kwasi Fori, District Police Commander of the Shai-Osudoku District said two parties, one belonging to the Opata family of Doryumu and Adumanya, and the other, the Odosu family of Lartey Kubease, were litigating over a land at Adumanya, near Dodowa.

The case went to court and after a couple of years, an Accra High Court ruled in favour of the Odosu family of Lartey Kubease.

Consequently, last Tuesday, a bailiff from the court together with some police officers from the Dodowa District Police Headquarters went to the land in question to allow the defendants to know the exact position they can start work on the land.

Whiles there, the mob led by Emmanuel Donkor, aka Apor, Daniel Apor and Nana Asante stormed the land and issued a stern warning to the driver of the bulldozer, Gabriel Ateley Amartey to stop work.

Not even the presence of the police officers could deter the rampaging mob to calm down, Supt Kwasi Fori told the paper, and revealed that before they could say Jack, they heard gunshots flying towards their direction.

The District Police Commander continued that not long after the gun shots, the mob set the bull-dozer ablaze, leaving the driver of the vehicle with no option, than to run for his dear life.

The mob then turned their attention towards the police pick-up with the intention to set it ablaze as well, but the gallantry maneuver of the driver of the police vehicle ensured that he drove it and the 17 persons who were under attack from the mob, to safety.

Supt. Kwasi Fori narrated that the driver had to use the vehicle to scale three different roadblocks, set up by the mob along the Sefina Water Works road, near Dodowa to save the lives of those who were under attack.

Mr. Emmanuel Opata, the Valley View University lecturer who is alleged to be the brain behind the attacks is currently behind bars and expected to appear before court soon.