The Mankralo of Battor, Togbe Bobordzi Xevi VII, has issued a passionate call to President John Dramani Mahama, urging a full-scale investigation into the military brutality that unfolded in Ashaiman nearly two years ago.
His appeal reignites painful memories of an incident that left many civilians injured, humiliated, and traumatised, with deep scars, both physical and emotional, still lingering in the community.
The events leading up to the military invasion of Ashaiman date back to March 2023, when a tragic and deeply unfortunate event occurred, the killing of a young soldier in the town.
The military, enraged by the loss of one of their own, responded with swift and overwhelming force.
Before dawn, heavily armed soldiers stormed the town in military trucks, seeking revenge for their fallen colleague. What followed was nothing short of a nightmare for the residents of Ashaiman.
Eyewitnesses recall how soldiers descended upon neighbourhoods, dragging young men from their homes, detaining people at random, and unleashing merciless beatings.
Women were humiliated, elders were disrespected, and families were left in a state of shock as the brutal operation unfolded before their eyes. The streets, once lively and bustling, turned into scenes of anguish and despair as screams of pain echoed through the morning of March 7, 2023.
At Tulaku, one of the most affected areas, residents were reportedly forced to line up in the open, where soldiers mercilessly whipped them and even forced some to roll in cow dung as a form of punishment.
Videos of the inhumane treatment surfaced online, shocking the nation and drawing condemnation from human rights activists, yet no significant action was taken to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Now, almost two years later, Togbe Bobordzi Xevi VII refuses to let the matter be forgotten.
With a voice heavy with concern and determination, he has directly appealed to President Mahama to take action against those responsible for the human rights violations in Ashaiman.
“I am calling on the president to investigate the army commander who commanded his army to beat people in Ashaiman, disgrace, elders, men, and women, beating them because they lost one member. They went to Tulaku and lined up people and beat everybody there and made them roll in cow dung
“We shouldn’t disgrace our own country. They recorded the incident and uploaded it online, and that is bad for the image of the military and Ghana. Mr. President, we are calling on you to do something about that. It is very bad, and Ghanaians must be protected.”
