The family of Gregory Afoko, the suspect in prison custody for his alleged role in the murder of Upper East Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, has piled pressure on the police to do due diligence by serving the same invitation on the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari, and the Minister for Women, Gender and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba, for their alleged complicity in Mr. Mahama’s killing.
Gregory Afoko, brother of the suspended National Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko, has been in police detention for two years since he was picked up after the midnight acid attack on Mr. Mahama on May 21, 2015, in Bolgatanga.
His family pressed the police at a news conference held Monday at Sandema, capital of the Builsa North District, demanding ‘equal justice’ two weeks after the Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Daniel Bugri Naabu, had claimed that the two ministers masterminded the midnight acid attack on Mr. Mahama.
“It was someone’s allegation in connection with the killing of Adams against Gregory Afoko that led to his arrest from his sleep at dawn by the police. Despite his repeated denials of the act he has been accused of, he is still in prison custody and presently facing trial at the High Court.
“So, just as Gregory Afoko was arrested on the allegation of someone, it is our humble plea to the police that Madam Otiko Djaba, Mr. Rockson Bukari and Bugri Naabu himself be arrested or invited by the police to assist them in finding who actually killed Adams Mahama and for what purpose. The law must be seen to be applied equally to all manner of persons including Bugri, Bukari and Otiko,” stated Robert Atong Asekabita, one of the principal heads of the Ayieta Family, a clan of five royal gates of which the Afoko Family is a part.
IGP, Attorney-General to be petitioned
The news conference also saw the family announce plans to pursue their calls further with a petition to the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General to “initiate criminal proceedings” against Mr. Naabu and the alleged accomplices.
The family also asked the police to invite the NPP’s National Nasara Coordinator, Kamal Deen Abdulai, with regard to the May 2015 acid bath because he reportedly told the media a day after the tragedy “that he had called to inform the late Adams to take issues of his personal security seriously and that he should be prayerful.”
The statement pushed: “What informed Kamal Deen’s alleged advice to the late Adams Mahama? What did he know beforehand that he was minded to advise the late Adams about his personal security? Why did he tell the late Adams to be prayerful? Why did the police not invite Kamal Deen to assist them in their investigations of the death of the late Adams? We think the police should have been interested. They must still be interested.”
“We shall follow this press conference with a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General for them to initiate criminal proceedings against the four: Kamal Deen Abdulai, Daniel Bugri Naabu, Rockson Bukari and Otiko Afisa Djaba in connection with Adams Mahama’s death!
“The true killers must be found. We shall support any genuine moves by individuals and groups with the noble intention of helping to find the true killers of the late Adams Mahama,” the statement stressed.
Family turns to International Community
The allegation made by Mr. Naabu, which he later described as “a slip of the tongue” and for which he apologised, appears to have brought the Afoko and the Mahama families together in a joint hunt for Mahama’s assailants.
“We want those we have mentioned to also be invited and prevented from meeting people just the way Gregory is being treated. We are interested in seeing our Gregory Afoko walk out of prison custody as a free man. We also believe that the family of the late Adams Mahama [wants] to see his true killers so we should all join forces to help the security agencies find the true killers”, Mr. Asekabta affirmed.
He added: “We wish to appeal to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Ghana Chapter of Amnesty International as well as foreign missions in Ghana to add their voices to our call on the police and the government to have these three individuals arrested or invited to assist in finding the true killers of the late Adams.”