Kwame Ato Asare Ani, one of the suspects involved in the Axim Police attack and currently on the run, has broken his silence over the incident which threatens his freedom.

On April 2, 2023, the Police announced that it has arrested four members of a gang that attacks its officers of the Axim Division Police Patrol team on March 9, 2023.

"Kojo Siah, Emmanuel Mensah, Maxwell Cudjoe and Agyabu Haruna Dissawu were arrested on March 28, 2023, and have been remanded into custody following their first hearing in court. However, the prime suspect – Kwame Ato Asare Ani is currently at large," the Police statement noted.

The details of the incident are blur as per the police, a video footage that has come to its attention, showed its officers "pleading with members of the gang" while being accused of extortion.

Reacting to being a wanted man, Kwame Ato Asare Ani, stated that he is the victim in the story.

Speaking with UTV in the local parlance, he explained that the contention with the police officers started when he decided to withhold payment from the officers after taking delivery of GHC100,000 from some illegal miners.

This is because he collects monies from the galamsey operators in the area for the police in exchange for protection from criminals.

Ani stated that he was given GHC20,000, one-fifth of the total amount, therefore felt cheated.

In the viral video, the young man presumed to be Kwame is heard saying that “I had showed you the site and was telling you to drop me off, but you said you were taking me away.”

“You were coming for money from the site and we have paid you. So why were you want to still keep me in the vehicle? Where were you taking me?” he quizzed.

In the viral video, the group of men heckled the police officers and attempted to take away a police gun.

According to the Police, a search conducted at the residence of Asare Ani led to the retrieval of three pump-action shotguns.

“Also, two machetes and eight BB refilled cartridges were retrieved from the suspect’s unregistered Honda CRV vehicle. Other items retrieved from the suspects include two live refilled BB cartridges and one unregistered motorbike,” the statement added.

Source: The Independent Ghana