Contrary to claims by the Kpando Police that one Lawrence Adiase died on the way to the hospital, cell mates and colleagues of the deceased have revealed to his father, Divine Akutukpa Adiase that he died in the cell.
According to them, Lawrence first complained of heart burns, drowsiness and loss of breath which they told the police officers, but was ignored until the 19-year-old student quietly gave up the ghost.
Minutes after they (cell mates) have realized he was not moving anymore and shouted ‘someone is dead’ continuously, the Police rushed in, but ‘it was too late’, one of them said. The incident was reported to have happened in the early hours of Monday, March 18, 2013. Lawrence Adiase’s body was deposited at the Kpando mortuary.
The students revealed this to Lawrence’s father, uncle, Benjamin Adiase and the headmaster of Have Technical Institute when they visited the school to ascertain what really happened to their son.
They have therefore appealed to the President, the IGP, the Minister of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure a full-scale investigation into the true cause of death of their son and deal with the culprits should any be found.
The Kpando Police last Tuesday refuted claims on Accra based Citi Fm that they beat Lawrence Adiase, a 19-year-old final year student of Have Technical Institute to death after some altercation between them and some students at the Grotto in Kpando, last Sunday.
The Kpando Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Christopher Abaka, speaking to Citi Fm last Tuesday, claimed the police was innocent of the boy’s death. That notwithstanding, investigations was ongoing to ascertain the true cause of death of the young lad.
The Police Commander explained on the radio that students from Awudome Senior High School, AWUSCO, filed a report accusing students of Have Technical Institute of seizing their camera.
Officers at the station were thus deployed to the school where two persons were apprehended. According to the Chief Superintendent, before his officers could move away with the suspects, they were attacked by several students who deflated their tyres and physically assaulted them.
Police reinforcement was thus radioed in, leading to the arrest of 20 students. Some students, according to him, sustained injuries. Chief Superintendent Christopher Abaka noted however that after some hours, it was noticed that Lawrence Adese’s condition was worsening and was thus rushed to the hospital.
However, students of Have Technical Institute who were also arrested by the Police stressed that the entire incident happened at the Kpando-Agbenorxoe Grotto last Sunday. They admitted that some AWUSCO students reported of a missing digital camera which they suspected to be in the possession students of Kpando Technical Institute and not Have Technical Institute.
The five Policemen on duty at the Grotto were informed and three KPANTECH students were arrested. Three of the Policemen decided to escort the suspects to the Kpando Police Station in a taxi.
Other KPANTECH students blocked the route of the Police, thereby bursting the tyres of the taxi, making one of the students to escape. The Police picked another taxi and conveyed the remaining two students to the station.
The two officers left at the Grotto were attacked by the KPANTECH students. Police reinforcement was called in and on arrival started beating up and apprehending the KPANTECH students.
In the melee, Have students, including Lawrence ( the deceased) and five of his mates were assaulted and arrested because they were in white shirt and Khaki trousers just like the KPANTECH students. Not even the pleas that they were Have students and a display of their ID cards as evidence could restrain the Police.
Over 20 students were arrested and put behind bars that Sunday evening. They said, in all, they were 27, crammed in one cell; hence generating a lot of heat and discomfort, especially after some of them had sustained injuries.
Some of them complained of heartburns and called for water which was provided but, inadequate, leading to a scramble. A few minutes to 3:00am, Lawrence began to complain of heartburns and difficulty in breathing. They called on the Police saying ‘someone is collapsing…someone is dying’ but their call was ignored.
Instead they heard a voice say ‘you can die.’ One of the students on whose laps Lawrence’s head lay added that moments later he realized his colleague was not moving. This prompted them to check his pulse and heartbeat which were still. They then created a space and laid him supine. This was around 3:00 am.
Later, as morning approached the Police opened the cell after several bangs on the door. The students immediately carried their friend whom they claimed was dead, outside the cell before police rushed the alleged dead student to the hospital which is a stone throw away.
From Fred Duodu, Ho