Nima rioters remanded in custody

September 21, 2012 THIRTEEN rival youth groups from two communities in Accra were today remanded in custody by the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly rioting and causing unlawful damage. The accused persons, who belonged to rival groups in Nima and Mamobi both suburbs in Accra, were picked up by a joint military and police patrol team on September 17, 2012 around 3:30 a.m. They are Bashiru Aminu, Sule Issah, Ibrahim Issah, Ishmael Awuni Cobbina, Rashid Mustapha, Yaazo Tutema, Ibrahim Yakubu, Mustapha Dauda, Issah Naari, Kabutey Ocansey, Karim Baroa, Danlard Mohammed and Mohammadu Abubakar. The 13 accused persons who were members of the two rival groups were alleged to have wielded deadly weapons, including machetes, locally manufactured guns and clubs. The two groups were said to have attended a party at a club at Adabraka on the night of September 16, 2012 where the confusion broke out between them. In the process, they caused riot, obstructed vehicular traffic, damaged the windscreens of two vehicles including one belonging to the the Ghana Police Service. They each pleaded not guilty to three counts of riot and causing unlawful damage and were remanded to reappear on October 4, 2012. According to the prosecution, on September 17, 2012, one of the complainants in the case, a taxi driver rushed to the Nima Divisional Police station and reported that his taxi cab had been attacked by a group of thugs who had blocked the main Nima/Mamobi road with stones and tables. The taxi driver also informed the police that the thugs had snatched his cellular phone and in the process smashed his vehicle’s windscreen. The patrol team rushed to the scene upon receipt of the information but they met stiff opposition from the angry youth who allegedly broke the windscreen of a police patrol vehicle with registration number GP 2239. On realising the seriousness of the unruly behaviour of the thugs, the police fired warning shots in a bid to disperse the crowd. To ensure that the unruly behaviour of the rival groups was brought under total control, a re-inforcement of military personnel was dispatched to the scene to restore law and order. The 13 accused persons were subsequently picked up and arraigned before the court after investigations. END.