Foreign Policy and Security Analyst, Adib Saani, has alluded that Ghana’s security services are widely known to respond with savage means when dealing with issues relating to Zongo communities.
On Monday, June 13, an operation by the Kumasi Regional Police Command to disperse protesting students of the Islamic Senior High School led to over 30 of the students being admitted to the hospital.
In a related development, CCTV footage of the Islamic students protesting moments before the Police force trooped in has emerged. In the footage, some Police Officers reviewing the footage were heard altering Islamophobic commentaries in the background.
Reacting to this latest development on Happy98.9 FM’s “Epa Hoa Daben” socio-political talk show, Security Analyst, Adib Saani reiterated the footage has reaffirmed what has always been the norm in the operations of the security forces when dealing with the Muslim community.
“This has existed for so long a time and we all know for a fact that anytime the police are responding to protests by Zongo or Muslims in any part of the country, they go with a terminator mentality. That is brute force because lots of people have had the perception that they are stubborn and only comply with brute force and cannot be controlled unless weapons are involved. Sometimes, they get there and even when there is an opportunity to deescalate, they don’t because that mentality and implicit bias make them go overboard and mostly in an unprofessional manner.
We’ve had so many examples and just recently with the Ejira confusion where the protestors were mostly Muslims. That is why the Military was called in the first place when the police could have been used. The same happened in Tamale and this is uncomfortable to talk about because since independence, Christians and Muslims have coexisted peaceful and the relationship has been sweet,” he revealed.
Adib Saani further shared that the manifestations of ethnic and religious biases have been instilled in most people from early childhood nurturing. He however expressed disappointment over the unprofessionalism of the country’s security force in their operations.
Meanwhile the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare has ordered the interdiction of the officers involved in the Islamophobic commentary behind the CCTV footage.
By: Jude Tackie
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