A police officer, identified as Lance Corporal Francis Adusei, has allegedly shot himself with a service rifle at his residence at Atomic Police barracks, Kwabenya, in Accra.
The information gathered indicates that the incident happened on Monday, May 6, 2024, at about 8:45 a.m.
Neighbours recounted that they heard a gunshot from Block 3, room No. 10B, where the deceased was residing.
When they rushed in, the police officer had shot himself with an AK47 assault rifle number GHGP/58NHQ/PU/AZ6303 – 205.
Blood stains were found on the bedspread and the floor.
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Also found at the scene were one empty shell and one round of AK-47 ammunition in his bedroom, and the door locked from inside.
The Lance Corporal was reportedly rushed to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Hospital (GAEC) for medical attention, where he was stabilised.
He was transferred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital emergency ward and was responding to treatment but later passed on.
The body has since been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for preservation pending autopsy.
Police suicides
Between 2020 and 2022, three police officers committed suicide, according to former Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery.
Mr Dery said to address the recurrence of the unfortunate situation, the Welfare Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, in partnership with the Psychological Counselling Unit (PCU), embarked on a sensitisation programme on the need for personnel to speak on issues bothering them.
Others were being provided with psychological first aid tips, and PCU detecting early signs of mental sickness and personnel were encouraged to report early signs of suicide to authorities for help.
Mr Dery said in addition to these interim mitigating measures, the Police Administration in February, 2021, created the PCU.
He said the unit was mandated to handle the wellness and general mental health issues of police personnel, their families, and dependants.
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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 of the Mental Health Authority, Dr Kwasi Osei, stated in 2019 that an NGO pegged suicide in Ghana at 1,500 deaths per annum.
Dr Osei has been championing allocation of more funds to deal with mental health in Ghana. He also highlighted the need to introduce mental health levy.
He is also advocating the approval of a mental health levy to cater for the high cost of treatment.