Mob Assault Three Catholic Priests In Nkwanta-South Over Rented Bulldozer
- A mob attacked three Catholic priests in the Nkwanta-South Municipal Assembly of the Oti Region
- The priests who had gone to rent a bulldozer for construction works from the Assembly were attacked by youth who thought they had gone to steal the equipment
- Following the attack, one of the friars lost hearing in one ear and is receiving treatment at the Yendi hospital
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Three Indian Catholic priests at Kpassa in the Nkwanta-North District of the Oti Region have been brutally beaten by a mob at a fuel station.
The unfortunate incident occurred in Nkwanta on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Source: Getty Images
The three Catholic priests, identified as Father Robinson Melkis, Father Frank Henry Jacob and Father Martin George, all Capuchin Friars and operating in Ghana since 2005, were accosted and beaten by irate youth when they stopped at a fuelling station to fuel their cars.
According to the Vicar-General of the Catholic Diocese of Jasikan, Monsignor Joseph Kofi Nsiah, the Fathers had gone to hire a bulldozer from the Nkwanta-South Municipal Assembly to work on the construction of a Formation House project for seminarians at Chaiso in the municipality.
The Fathers paid GH¢9,700 and were accompanied by two Assembly officials to move the equipment to the site.
According to the Vicar-General, the Fathers had been beaten to the extent that Father Henry Jacob had lost hearing in one of his ears. He is currently admitted to the Yendi Hospital and is receiving treatment.
The two other officials of the Nkwanta-South Municipal Assembly accompanying the friars were also assaulted.
The mob had attacked the friars and their companions after assuming they had stolen the equipment from the Municipal Assembly.
Attempts by the friars and the two assembly workers to explain the situation had fallen on deaf ears.
Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service rescued the friars and the two assembly officials and took them to the police station.
The friars and the municipal officials were taken into police custody at the station, and the equipment was impounded.
It took the intervention of the Vicar-General for the victims to be released on bail pending further investigations.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress in the Nkwanta-South Constituency has issued an apology to the three Indian Catholic Priests and the Jasikan Diocese of the Catholic Church for the mishap.
Prince Succeed Fiagadzi, the party’s constituency secretary, said the party was appalled and deeply saddened by the attack on the priests.
He said the youth’s actions were regrettable and apologised for the traumatic experience.
Security expert blames police complacency for disturbances
Security expert Adib Saani blamed security agencies for being complacent in their post-election monitoring.
In an exclusive interview with YEN.com.gh, he explained that had the police have been on high alert; the situation would not have escalated to such an extent that there would have been a strong sense of mistrust.
He called on the incumbent government to take action to quell the disturbances and avoid retaliation from the NPP faction.
“The possibility of criminal elements mingling with the NDC followers to perpetrate these acts is there, and the possibility of people who are not NDC behaving in this way is there.”
Police arrest nine suspects in election-related violence
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the police have arrested nine suspects linked to the arson attack on the Electoral Commission's Office in Ayensuano.
This brings the total number of persons arrested as a result of the reported post-election violence to 106.
The police said all 106 persons would be made to face justice and are being taken through due legal processes.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
