Police move to protect ‘mad men’ in Jamasi

Following the gruesome murder of three farmers on their farms last Thursday by a suspected mentally deranged man in Jamasi in the Ashanti Region, all mentally challenged persons there are at risk of being lynched by members of the community.

To save them from falling victims to the anger of the community members, the Agona District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Francis Akwasi Asante, has proposed that such persons within the community be picked up and confined at one place.

ANGER

“Since that incident, the surrounding communities within the area want to lynch any person seen to be mad.They say that the mad person who killed their relatives must pay back,” he said.

ASP Asante told the Daily Graphic that the members of the community suspected every mental patient to be the perpetrator of the act and as such would want to vent their anger on them.

As a result, he said those roaming the streets of Jamasi were at risk of being killed by the members of the community.

He said the District Security Council (DISEC) would be meeting today over the issue and other security issues in the district.

“I want us to discuss how best we can help take these persons from this area, otherwise, we may register some more people attacking innocent ones,” he said.

However, he said the implementation would be done in accordance with the Mental Health Act, which gives some protection to such people.

SECURITY

The only police post in the town has been closed down following an attack on the personnel by the residents over the refusal of the police to hand over a suspect to them to lynch.

Mr Asante said the Agona District would still have supervisory role over the area and would be extending their activities there until the decision was reversed.

He said not every town within the district had a police post, “so we will consider them as those communities without a police station.”

BACKGROUND

Last Thursday, three elderly farmers were murdered in cold blood on their farms by a suspected mentally challenged person.

Yaa Nyameke, 65, Rose Akyaa, 65, and Afia Adukuma, 63, were all killed on their farm by an unidentified assailant.