Family accuse immigration officers of killing their relative

The family of 38-year-old farmer who died at the hands of some immigration officers stationed at the Naro checkpoint in Nadowli-Kaleo District are appealing to the police to get the killers arrested and prosecuted.

While admitting that no form of punishment meted out to the culprit would bring back their relative, they believed that getting justice for him would assuage their pain and loss.

The family was afraid that because of the people involved in the alleged murder of their kin, Patrick Banoebuuri, the family might not get justice.

The deceased, Patrick Banoebuuri, a father of four, was handed over to the immigration officers for disciplinary action to be taken against him for stealing 18 sheep belonging to a resident of Piree-Kaangu.

However, barely four hours after handing over the alleged criminal to the immigration officers, the family was called to come for his body as he (Patrick) had expired.

The incident is said to have occurred on March 7, 2025 at around 3pm at Naro, a community within the Nadowli-Kaleo District.

The surrounding communities around Naro usually used the services of the immigration officers stationed at the immigration checkpoint to dish out punishment to suspected criminals due to the absence of a police station within reach.

The incident

Narrating the incident that led to the death of Patrick to the Daily Graphic, a brother of the deceased, Richard Banoebuuri, said on March 6, 2025, his brother who was in possession of 18 sheep, moved from their village, Piree-Kaangu, to Naro to meet with a Fulani herdsman.

He said the herdsman, who suspected that the animals might have been stolen, called some people from the village as witnesses including two gentlemen from Piree-Kaangu.

He said one of the guys from Piree-Kaangu identified the sheep to belong to one man from the community and they thus ordered Patrick to return the animals to the owner.

Mr Banoebuuri explained that after he brought the animals, he (deceased) was brought to the community square for the members to decide his fate.

He said since all the animals had been retrieved, some of the members suggested that they lash him and let him go while others also suggested that they hand him over to the Ghana Immigration Service personnel to deal with him.

After the back and forth, the consensus was that “he should be handed over to the immigration officers to punish him”.

“They got to the checkpoint at around 11 am and he was made to do some press-up as his punishment and our elder brother who was with them was asked to come back in the evening for him while the community members were asked to return,” he said.

Death

At around 3pm on the same day, Mr Banoebuuri said the immigration officers called the family to inform them about the death of their relative and asked them to come for the body.

Suspecting foul play, he said the family lodged a complaint with the police who accompanied the family to retrieve the body.

“So, we went with the police to retrieve the body which has since been deposited at the Regional Hospital awaiting autopsy,” he said.

He said signs on the body showed that the deceased was tortured and beaten to death. He said there were cuts at his back, the skin on his butts peeled off, “in fact, our brother was mutilated”.

Confirmation

When contacted, the Upper West Regional Crime Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Reynolds Manteaw, confirmed that the office was handling a case of such nature and that some arrests had been made and the suspects would soon be processed for court.

He, however, declined to go into the details of the case since the facts would be made available in court.