Assembly man, 8 others arrested for mob assault

The Assembly Member of Sakumono Village, near Baatsona in the Greater Accra Region, and eight others have been arrested for allegedly attempting to raze down the residence of the queenmother of the area.

Those arrested, who included a woman, were part of a mob of about 200 who allegedly besieged the residence of the queenmother of Sakumono Village, Naa Borle Wulu II, and attempted to burn the palace.

They are said to have accused Naa Wulu of using thugs to molest residents who practised open defecation in a bush near her palace since most residents of the area had no places  of convenience in their homes.

There is no public toilet in the area.

The mob, armed with sticks, cudgels, stones and machetes, according to the police, was led by the Assembly Member, Mr Richmond Sorgbordjor, 41, who allegedly incited the mob against the police when the law enforcers tried to calm the situation.

Attack on police

Briefing the Daily Graphic,  the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, said the Baatsonaa Divisional Police Command, about 10a.m. last Saturday, received information that a mob had attacked the queenmother and was attempting to burn her residence.

A police patrol team from the division, led by the Divisional Crime Officer, Superintendent of Police Mr Bernard Ananga, went to the scene.

DSP Tenge said Sorgbordjor, however, incited the mob to attack the police when the team reached the scene.

In the process, she said, the mob — which had already caused damage to part of the queenmother's palace — pelted the police with stones and shattered the right back window glass of an unregistered Nissan saloon car driven by the Divisional Crime Officer.

She said the police arrested nine persons, including the Assembly Member and a woman whose identity was not made known to the media, while the rest escaped.

Investigations by the police, DSP Tenge said, showed that the queenmother had been protesting against open defecation practice in the area due to its health implications, but her move infuriated the residents, leading to the mob attack.

She said the police had intensified patrols in the area, while investigations continued.