Kotobabi residents demand probe into woman’s killing during anti-robbery operation

Some residents of Kotobabi, a suburb of Accra are calling for a thorough police investigation into the killing of a young woman in the area on December 16, 2023, during a police anti-robbery operation.

According to the residents, the deceased was waiting for public transport at a bus stop near the Kotobabi Police station when an unidentified man shot her in an attempt to apprehend the driver of a Toyota Camry and left the scene.

While police attributed her death to a stray bullet during an anti-robbery operation, some eyewitnesses said they heard gunshots and questioned the circumstances of the lady’s tragic death.

“I just saw a Camry coming at top speed, so I moved forward to see what the sound was. Then, when the Camry came to pass, I saw a man with a gun who came to pass in front. He was just walking with the gun like he didn’t care. After he passed, I saw that a woman was lying on the floor with a headshot,” one resident noted in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Citi News.

Another eyewitness claimed that “The man was not in police attire; he was in a T-shirt with a necklace and some earrings. So we thought it was some of those fraudsters who had confusion which led to all those shootings. Then he walked towards the road, picked up a motorbike, and left. The Camry was coming from the curve at top speed, so I think maybe the guy was shooting at the Camry, and it dodged and went to hit the woman”.

Another eyewitness speaking on the issue said, “On Saturday morning, we heard a gunshot. I came out and saw two cars coming at a top speed. The second car was chasing the first one, so my grandchild called me saying there was a man with a gun. The man walked to the roadside and picked up a motorbike. Later, I saw a fair woman lying in a pool of blood at the bus station. I immediately rushed to the Kotobabi Police Station to inform them, but they asked me to go out. Meanwhile, the woman was not dead yet. It took about 10-15 minutes before the police reached the scene. They came to pick up the body into a jeep and left. I don’t know the woman. I’m sure she was there to pick up a car. I confronted one policewoman and asked her if they didn’t hear the sound, and she said they thought it was a knock-out”.

The police in a statement noted that the said lady was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

The deceased’s body has since been deposited at the morgue for preservation and autopsy.

Residents are seeking justice for the deceased and calling on the IGP to educate the public on the use of guns in public.