No police update 22 days after Ada radio was attacked

After an initial offer of a ransom leading to the arrest of the supposed attackers of a local radio station in Ada, 22 days after the incident, police are yet to give any update as the matter appears to have turned into a “foolish” case.

The radio station, Radio Ada, was attacked after a series of reports on McDan’s 15 year Electrochem Salt mining which contract would require some people to be relocated, and for which a presenter of the radio station was leading a protest on.

That protest was scheduled for the very same day the Radio Station was attacked at a time some two other leaders of the protest were at the station to make an announcement. One of the attackers hit one of the protesters, the Coalition of the Protection of Journalists said.

At about 11:30 a.m. on January 13, ten masked men reportedly forced open a studio door at the private-owned broadcaster’s office at Ada, attacked and threatened its staff.

The attackers, one of whom carried a pistol, hit and kicked Ada Radio journalists all over the place for more than 20 minutes while they ransacked the office of the Radio station.

Almost all radio production equipment and gadgets were smashed by the assailants who remain at large more than 20 days after the attack.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Ada Traditional Council led by one Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III, who the youth of Ada accuse of being in the pocket of McDan issued a statement calling on the station to be “more responsible” in its reportage.

Many have wondered whether these developments have not influenced the pace of investigation and arrests of the perpetrators of the attack on the radio station.

We will arrest them!

Three days after the attack, the police, after severe social media criticism announced a GH¢10,000 bounty on the heads of persons behind the vandalism of Ada Radio on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

The police also said it has deployed a team of investigators and intelligence officers to support the Ada Divisional Command to look into the matter and arrest the persons behind it.

It also gave assurances that the culprits will be apprehended.

“We will do everything possible to find those thugs and deal with them according to the laws of this country. To this end, the Police administration has placed an amount of Ten Thousand Ghana .dis (GH¢10,000.00) bounty as an informant reward for anyone who offers a piece of credible Information leading to the arrest of the thugs who invaded and vandalised the Ada Radio station and assaulted the staff.

“A team of investigators and Intelligence Officers from the National and Regional Headquarters are currently supporting the Ada Divisional Command to investigate the incident and get those involved arrested and prosecuted for this barbaric act,” the police also added.

20 days later, there is no update and no arrest.