A native of Talensi has lodged a fresh complaint with the Upper East Regional Police Command against Paazie Naab, a gold small-scale miner nicknamed Commando, for indiscriminately displaying and shooting a gun in public.
He was filmed holding a pistol in 2022 in the presence of a crowd in his native Talensi district and was later seen in another video firing into the air eleven times in the midst of people at a different location.
Some members of the public felt alarmed on sighting the videos on social media platforms and as they chorused his arrest and prosecution in unison, he donated two brand-new motorbikes to the Upper East Regional Police Command on Monday, 18 July 2022.
The regional police command received the donations from him on its premises at a ceremony also attended by some of his alleged friends including John Millim Naabwomya, who was announced four days ago as the district chief executive (DCE) nominee for Talensi, and one John Bawa.
After he made the donations, he did not face the prosecutorial action the public had expected from the police.
The regional police command came under criticism not only for accepting a donation from someone it ought to arrest and prosecute but also because the same Commando was standing a criminal trial at a high court in the regional capital, Bolgatanga, for stealing and for conspiracy to commit crime among other charges.
In a bid to get the case withdrawn from court, Commando and four other accused persons involved in the criminal case made a partial payment to the victim (a businessman) from the total value of the items they reportedly stole from the victim and damaged, but the case has been pending in court since 2014.
Why a fresh complaint has been lodged with police
The Upper East Regional Police Command arrested Zongdan Boyak Kolog, a Talensi-born small-scale miner better known as Polo, on Sunday, 26 January 2025, for possessing guns and shooting.
Although Polo claimed he only fired warning shots in defence because he was under a gun attack around his gold-mining concession in the district, the police locked him in cells and put him before the circuit court in Bolgatanga.
The police command was widely condemned for what several observers described as selective justice, saying Polo and Commando ‘committed’ the same ‘offence’ but they were treated differently probably because one donated motorbikes to the law-enforcement agency.
When Media Without Borders interviewed the current Upper East regional police commander, DCOP Raymond Wejong Ali Adofiem, on Saturday, 22 February 2025, regarding this public concern, he said he was not in charge of the region at the time Commando’s case was reported to the command.
“Who reported it to me? I wasn’t here when it happened. Since I came here, if you shoot, I will go after you. Is that not what I’m doing in Bawku? You shoot, I will go after you. Is that not what I’m doing in Bolga?” he said.
Following the regional commander’s remarks, the Talensi native lodged a fresh complaint with the command on Tuesday, 25 February 2025.
The complainant further produced evidence on Monday, 7 April 2025, upon police request to support his statement. Sources say the command invited Commando yesterday (Monday) after the complainant provided the evidence.
The public now keenly awaits what DCOP Adofiem will do as the gun-shooting matter involving Commando has now been reported under his regional administration with the demanded evidence. Media Without Borders is following every development associated with the case.
Meanwhile, sources say two civil society organisations have announced plans to file petitions with some evidence to the Inspector-General of Police and the Minister for the Interior against the regional police command on this matter very soon.
Ghana’s gun laws frown on indiscriminate display and discharge of arms and ammunition.
There have been several instances of people, including some well-known individuals, being arrested and charged with the offence in Ghana.
Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org/Ghana
