67-year-old widow & food vendor gets beaten by police for going out during lockdown
- Florence, a 67-year-old widow has wept uncontrollably in a video, recounting how a police officer abused her for going out during the lockdown
- According to Florence, she is a food vendor and was informed that people who deal in food could go and do their businesses, which was why she went out
- She describes the pains from lashes received from the police officer as more than what she went through during labour and childbirth
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A 67-year-old widow has narrated how she was lashed mercilessly by a police officer who was in her area to enforce the lockdown imposed by president Akufo-Addo on March 27 to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In a video report gathered by JoyNews and sighted by YEN.com.gh, the old lady simply identified herself as Florence and narrated how she innocently wanted to make ends meet for herself and her children.
According to the woman, she had gone out to buy a bowl of tomatoes which she was going to use to prepare food and sell in the area because she learned that food vendors were excluded from the lockdown.
When she was beaten, Florence rained curses on the police officer that did her the harm.
READ ALSO: Ghanaian traditionalists pray against COVID-19 at Independence Square
See full details in the video below:
The 67-year-old lady recounts that she met the police officer at the roadside after buying the foodstuff, and he instructed that she returned together with the head porter that was helping her.
Florence indicates that she did not argue or complain about the police officer's instructions but rather turned and started moving away.
Before she could realize, Florence said, there was a sharp pain that stroke her from behind and left her shaking vigorously, only for her to turn and see that the officer had used a long broom to hit her with all his might.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: 'Kayayei' in Ghana to receive GH¢10 daily during the lockdown period
Florence mentioned she is not able to move normally as she used to and described the pain as being more than what she felt during labour and childbirth.
Ghanaians have been reacting wildly to the story. Gilbert Zana Naab said this must not be the end of the story:
Belle Sterling Gh stated what she thinks the policeman should do:
General Officer Commanding, Southern Command, Brigadier General Abraham Yeboah Nsiah reacted to videos of military officers beating civilians in the words: “Whatever it is, be assured that your soldiers are professionals, they don’t brutalize.”
It appears that the soldiers are forced to beat citizens because too many people are seen moving about whilst there is an order for them to be at home.
But not all the officers beat. Recently, a video of an officer advising passengers on why they should stay home surfaced.
In other news, a video is fast trending on social media showing a well-built military man who pulled a gun to shoot a civilian who defied lockdown rules.
The footage was sighted by YEN.com.gh on the Twitter handle of John Terry Tresh who was clearly alarmed by the incident and mentioned that the ongoing squabble between Ghanaians and armed officers is simply going too far.
In the video, the military man wanted to clearly punish three young men who were out during the lockdown period, which got one of the guys very enraged.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
