Family of female pillion passenger shot by police in Karimenga petition IGP, others

The family of Talaata Wuni, the woman who was shot by a police officer at a checkpoint in Karimenga in the North East Region are demanding for compensation for the victim.

This comes on the back of what the family describes as failure on the part of the Police in the North East Region to compensate them.

The family is also accusing the police in the region of being unkind to them.

According to the family, the police chased them each time they showed up at the station to present their demands to them.

Speaking to Class 91.3 FM’s North East Regional Correspondent Moses Apiah, brother of the victim, Godwin Awuni, explained that: “We followed and they were saying they will not pay. So later on he [the police officer] said if we know we have people we should let them come and fight for [them].”

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu, was then informed about the family’s grievances.

“We were asked to write a petition petitioning the IGP, the Minister of the Interior, and then our MP herself. We did that and she said we should hold on for the meantime, they’re working on it to see how best they can...

“That was last year, before Christmas, the whole process was in December,” the brother of the victim stated.

He indicated that, as family of the victim, they are not at loggerheads with the police but are only demanding for the right thing to be done for their sister.

He said: “The family of the victim, Talata, we’re for peace, we don’t have problem with the police, we’re not fighting them, we want the right thing to be done because we didn’t plan for this.

“Last year like this, we couldn’t do proper faming, so we have nothing to feed on, we’re only pleading that they should try and pay back the money that we have spent on her and they’re not trying to. “

He also revealed that the family is denied the opportunity to see the Commander; “They don’t give us the chance. “

Some irate residents of Karimenga in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the Nakpanduri District in the North East Region, set a police checkpoint ablaze after police allegedly shot a female, who was riding pillion on Tuesday, 17 May 2022.

According to residents, the female pillion passenger was shot by the police, at the checkpoint, after the motorcyclist ignored a signal to stop.

The locals who were infuriated by the action of the police marched to the checkpoint and set it ablaze.

The female pillion passenger sustained injuries on her behind.

She was rushed to the Upper East Regional Hospital for treatment.

She was later sent to the Diare Health Centre, a traditional healing centre in Kukua, also in the same region.

The bullets were taken out from the behind of the victim after which the police agreed to bear the cost of her treatment including feeding and transportation totaling GHS8,000.

The police are however, yet to fulfil that promise months after the incident.