A police officer on duty at a warehouse under renovation on the Graphic Road in Accra has reportedly shot himself to death on Wednesday, 27 April 2022.
It is unclear why the young officer, whose name is yet to be made known to the public, will subject himself to an untimely death.
But the police administration has since initiated investigations into the mysterious death of the cop.
“In line with our standard operating procedure, the name and further details of the deceased officer have been withheld and will be communicated after his family has been formally notified of the incident,” a statement from the police said.
According to sources in the area, the said policeman was seen within the premises walking about and reportedly entered the washroom.
Workers say they only noticed something had gone wrong when police officers started trooping to the premises.
The Ghana Police Service has recorded several suicide cases, which promoted the immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP) James Oppong-Boanuh, to highlight the need to build a sustainable mental health system to promote the health and well-being of the officers.
Speaking at the commissioning of a conference hall for the Central Regional Police Command in February 2021, he explained that the police administration was working closely with the Ghana Psychology Association to build the mental health capacity of personnel to overcome emotional domestic and job-related issues.
He made the calls after multiple suicide cases were recorded within a month.
Record of police suicide cases:
March 2019
In March 2019, Sergeant Fuseini Mohammed of the Marine Police Unit and one of the officers guarding the Osagyefo Power Barge shot and killed himself.
Reports indicated that he wilfully sent his supporting guard to buy him a razor blade to allow him space and freedom to commit suicide.
Sgt Mohammed was found lying in a supine position in a pool of blood, dead with the AK 47 rifle he used in the suicide by his legs.
A suicide note left behind read, “I can’t take this disgrace, something I don’t know about.”
He also wrote the mobile phone numbers of his wife, one Hajia and one Bianka, on a sheet of paper.
Some police officers had been accused of theft, but Sergeant Mohammed was not part of the culprits.
February 2021
It was reported that a 50-year-old cop stationed at the Ashiaman Court Unit had shot himself at his residence at Tema Community 18.
DSP Asiam Divine Yao died at the Police Hospital in the early hours of Sunday, February 14, 2021.
February 2021
Two weeks before that incident, Constable Yelnona Eugene of the National Protection Unit shot himself in Accra on Monday, February 1, 2020.
An AK 47 assault rifle was found together with the body in a washroom of the Ridge residence where he was on guard duty.
The Ghana Police Service confirmed the death in a press statement issued by Director of Public Affairs, Sheilla Kessie Abayie-Buckman.
The release said Constable Yelnona “was found dead at his duty point with a gunshot wound”.
Reports indicate that the policeman was sick and had taken leave days for treatment.
On Friday, January 29, he reported seeking an extension of his leave to enable him to seek further medical attention.
However, he was denied the request.
January 2021
Less than 48 hours before that incident, a senior officer did the same.
On Saturday, January 30, the District Commander of Half-Asini, Superintendent of Police (SP) Cyprian Zenge, allegedly committed suicide.
Mr Zenge is reported to have shot himself in the head at about 7 am.
This was the second time a police officer had committed suicide at Half Asini in less than two years.
He snapped his own life with a pistol at his home.
A suicide note at the scene read:” I am fed up in this world”.
The deceased was found “sitting in a blue chair with a gunshot wound on his forehead”.
Suicide records
The WHO has shown that a person dies every 40 seconds by suicide worldwide, with 25 more people attempting suicide.
This puts the data of persons dying averagely per year to suicide at approximately 800,000.
Director-General at the Mental Health Authority, Dr Kwasi Osei, stated in 2019 that an NGO pegged suicide in Ghana at 1,500 deaths per annum.