The family of a taxi driver who died in police cells after he was arrested for knocking down some police officers has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to ensure justice is served.
The driver is said to have knocked down a police officer with his taxi at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital area in Takoradi on December 25, 2021, leading to his arrest.
According to the family, reports from the Western Regional Police Command revealed that the driver committed suicide.
The family, on the other hand, believes otherwise. They are therefore calling on the IGP to intervene.
Speaking on the matter, Kwame Appiah, the brother of the deceased, said; “The deceased has three children (boys), and a wife. We don’t believe what the police are saying. This is lawlessness on the part of the police. They intentionally killed our family member after the arrest, and they want to cover it up. We want justice in the case, else we shall take the laws into our hands to do whatever we want.”
On December 25, 2021, the taxi driver, Kweku Abbam in his 40s, who resides at Fijai, a suburb of Sekondi in the Western Region, was found dead mysteriously in police cells a day after his arrest.
His family members and colleague taxi drivers who had gone to the Sekondi Police station to bail him out a day after his arrest were met with the surprising news of his death.
He was said to have committed suicide with his jeans trousers. This news led to some agitations at the police station.
Speaking to Citi News, Stephen Arthur, uncle of the deceased, and the Fijai Taxi Station Acting Secretary, Seth Ahlotuiah, said they do not understand how somebody in cells could commit suicide with his jeans.
“Everyone was scandalized to hear he committed suicide with his jeans trousers. We are also wondering why the police conveyed his body to the morgue without a family member.”
Assembly Member of the Asafo Electoral Area where the Sekondi Police station is situated; Sampson K. Darko, also expressed shock about the incident after leading the family to the station.
