Lawyers for the families of two men killed during a police operation in Zuarungu, Upper East Region, have urgently demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths.

According to myjoyonline.com, a statement issued by Libran Consults, the legal team, questioned key aspects of the Ghana Police Service’s official account of the April 29, 2026 operation, which authorities described as a successful dismantling of a robbery gang.

While acknowledging the police’s constitutional mandate to maintain law and order, the lawyers argued that several details in the police narrative are inconsistent with accounts provided by eyewitnesses and family members of those affected.

“The statement claimed that on the night of April 29, the individuals involved were at their residence in Zuarungu when police officers entered the premises and made multiple arrests,” a report by myjoyonline.com on May 14, 2026, said.

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The lawyers insist there was no exchange of gunfire or armed confrontation at the time of the arrests, contrary to the police version of events.

The legal representatives stated that about ten individuals were arrested during the operation and taken to the Zuarungu Police Station.

Four of them were released the following day without charge, which the lawyers say suggests that not all those initially detained were deemed culpable.

The statement further alleged that on the morning of April 30, 2026, one of the suspects, Safianu Seidu, a social worker at the Zuarungu District Assembly, was removed from custody at the Zuarungu Police Station and taken to an undisclosed location.

Family enquiries later revealed that some suspects were being transferred to Accra by officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID).

The families were shocked when the police later announced that two individuals — Safianu Seidu and Shamsudeen Mohammed, a professional nurse at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital, had died from gunshot wounds allegedly sustained during the "operation."

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The lawyers emphasised that persons in police custody are entitled to full protection under the Constitution, including the rights to life, human dignity, and due process.

They described the circumstances surrounding the two deaths as raising serious constitutional and human rights concerns.

They have therefore demanded an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the deaths.

The legal team also called on the Ghana Police Service to publicly disclose the full chain of custody records, transfer logs, and events leading to the arrest, detention, movement, and death of the two men.

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The lawyers appealed to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and other independent bodies to intervene and restore public confidence.

They warned that the families reserve the right to pursue constitutional and civil actions if necessary.

The Ghana Police Service has maintained that the operation was intelligence-led and resulted in the recovery of weapons and stolen motorbikes.

However, the police are yet to issue a detailed response to the specific allegations raised by the lawyers and families.

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