The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) said personnel at the Eastern Naval Base in Tema Newtown had to fire warning shots on Friday evening (April 12, 2024) to protect the sensitive installations of the base and repel attacks from some youth at the town.
Brigadier General E. Aggrey-Quashie, the Director General, Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces, stated this in a press release on Saturday in response to allegations that navy personnel fired into youth groups processing during the Tema Kplejoo Festival, killing two men and injuring three others.
The injured are on admission at the Tema General Hospital.
The release said a vehicle belonging to the Eastern Naval Command was attacked by a crowd partaking the festival at Tema Newtown at about 1953 hours on Friday, leading to a damage to the vehicle.
Three of the naval personnel on board the vehicle also sustained injuries and were sent to the Tema Naval Base Medical Centre for treatment.
In the course of the confrontation, three suspects were arrested by the naval personnel and were subsequently handed over to the Tema Newtown District Police for further investigations, the release said.
It noted that a mob, suspected to be part of the participants in the festivities, later attacked the Tema Naval Base with stones and other implements with the aim of releasing their colleagues.
“At a stage, the security of the base was threatened, and in order to protect the sensitive installations in the base, warning shots were fired to repel the attack,” it said.
It was later reported by the police that two civilians were brought to the Tema General Hospital dead; “the cause of death is yet to be ascertained,” the release said.
It said on Saturday, April 13, 2024, the mob again attacked the Tema Naval Base and the Naval Barracks at Tema New Town (Biekro Barracks), leading to the destruction of properties.
The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces, had commenced investigations into the incident, and the findings would be made available in due course, it added.
“The Ghana Armed Forces commiserates with the bereaved families and urges calm to be maintained by all parties while the incident is being investigated.”
The Army, however, cautioned the youth of Tema that any further attacks on its installations or personnel would be met with the appropriate response.
GNA