Goaso youth seek revenge

Sunyani April 11, GNA - Angry youth of Goaso numbering about 120 seeking revenge for the murder of Mr. Anthony Yeboah Boateng, administrator of the Goaso government hospital on Tuesday attempted to descend on the 'ghost' town of Atronie, but were timely stopped by the police.

The timely intervention of the police prevented a bloodbath as the youth were armed to the teeth with guns, machetes, cudgels and other types of offensive weapons. Fortunately, the youth at Atronie who were alleged to have cold-bloodedly killed Mr. Boateng had all fled the town, leaving only children and the aged who would have borne the brunt of the Goaso youth's anger.

Chief Superintendent of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Sunyani Municipal Commander, told newsmen police had information that about 120 angry youth of Goaso wielding offensive weapons were in a vehicle heading towards Atronie to burn and destroy everything in sight in retaliation for the murder of Mr. Boateng, who until his death was the Presiding Member of the Asunafo North District Assembly.

The deceased was murdered at about 2130 hours on Easter Sunday by some unidentified youth at Atronie, near the police station and adjacent to the chief's house as he and his wife and a Roman Catholic Sister were conveying the dead body of his aunt in his private car from Sunyani to be deposited at the Goaso government hospital.

The youth at Atronie had barricaded the road for a street jam to celebrate the Easter festivities and mistook Mr. Boateng for an alleged ritual murderer and assaulted him to death.

The two women were saved by a policeman who whisked them to safety at the police station but he also had his share of the assault. Chief Superintendent Yohuno said the police, on receiving the information about the invading youth quickly moved and barricaded the road at Kufuor camp, a village near Atronie 93to prevent damage to property and loss of lives".

He said as they waited for about 15 minutes the police sighted the vehicle conveying the Goaso youth at top speed with the occupants singing war songs with the flashlight on top of the truck on. "On seeing the police the youth, holding cutlasses, sticks and other offensive weapons marched to the police to tell them their mission but the Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Kwaku Ayensu Opare Addo advised them against taking the law into their hands but to exercise restraint since the police was doing every thing possible to ensure justice", Chief Superintendent Yohuno added.

He said for about 30 minutes the youth insisted on accomplishing their mission but later succumbed to the plea of the police and climbed back into their vehicle but with the promise 'to definitely come back to Atronie to avenge the death of their beloved one".

The municipal commander said about 40 police personnel and a sizeable number of soldiers had been deployed in the area to ensure peace and security.

Meanwhile the Goaso Diocesan Catholic Youth Council has, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr. Christian D.B. Mensah, condemned the murder of Mr. Boateng and called on the police administration to provide all the necessary support to the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command to carry out a massive search for the murderers.

"We condemn this killing in no uncertain terms and call on the police in Sunyani and Goaso to intensify the search for the youth who had mounted a barrier at Atronie on Easter Sunday and are suspected to have killed Mr. Yeboah Boateng premeditatedly," the statement added.

The Council urged the police to widen the scope of investigation and pursue every lead which might emerge in the course of investigations into the matter.

It called on the general public, especially the Catholic Youth at Atronie to lend their support to the police in the search for the murderers and expressed condolences to Mr. Boateng's wife, the family, Goaso Catholic Church, Goaso government hospital and the Asunafo North District Assembly.