Family of police shooting victim demands prosecution of officer
The family of Nashiru Jibril, a 17 year-old student of the Sandema Senior High Technical School in the Upper East Region, who was shot dead during a students’ riot has demanded immediate apprehension and prosecution of the suspected police officer.
The family, at a News conference at Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District stressed that the police officers who were supposed to protect members of the public from harm acted unprofessionally during the scene and called for an urgent arrest of the police officer who shot the deceased and the Builsa North District Police Commander.
On July 16, 2019, the late Nashiru was shot by a police officer, when security personnel tried to quell disturbances in the school.
One female student also sustained injuries, but was treated at the Sandema Hospital and discharged.
The situation led to a two-week closure of the school after a District Security Committee (DISEC) meeting was held.
The family said justice was not served after the unfortunate demise of their relative and a committee that was set up to investigate the case had not informed the family of the outcome.
“The cause of the death was established through an autopsy conducted at the Tamale Teaching Hospital on July 18, 2019 that the boy died through gunshot wounds to his chest,” Mr Mamudu Adams, the Spokesperson for the family told the media.
He said the action and conduct of the Police during the shooting and after the death of Nashiru was “irresponsible and gross disregard for the fundamental human rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.”
“What is even worrying to the entire family is that since the unfortunate incident occurred apparently due to the negligence of the police, the family was waiting for the police to visit or at least contact the family to explain the circumstances that led to the boy’s death, but this surprisingly was not done for almost two months after the incident”.
The family is therefore calling on the Police Service to avail themselves to the family, a “comprehensive report explaining the circumstances leading to the death and the police involvement in the killing of Master Nashiru Jibril, he said.
The family further demanded that the police officer together with the Builsa North District Police Commander be arrested to face the law.
“The fundamental human rights of our late relative was recklessly abused by the police and we call for adequate compensation determined by the law court.”
The family also called on the police and other law enforcement agencies, including; the court to view the case with seriousness to ensure that justice was done.
Source: GNA