The Wenchi High Court has mandated the government to pay a total compensation of GH¢150,000 to six victims who suffered injuries during the violent incidents that marred the 2020 parliamentary election in the Techiman South Constituency of the Bono East Region. The court, presided over by Justice Frederick Nawurah, ruled that the compensation addressed the “violation of their right to life and psychological trauma inflicted by state security forces.”
Justice Nawurah also ordered state authorities to investigate the events leading to the injuries of Sulemana Elliasu, Abubakari Iddrisu, Alhassan Nasiru, Aremeaw Alhassan, Alhassan Abdul-Rahman, and Paul Asue, and to hold the perpetrators accountable. The court further awarded each of the six victims GH¢20,000 in costs.
In his judgment, Justice Nawurah emphasized that the violence on December 8, 2020, at the Techiman South Constituency, where security forces fired on the crowd, resulted in serious gunshot injuries that violated the victims’ fundamental human rights.
“I declare that the injuries inflicted on Sulemana Elliasu, Abubakari Iddrisu, Alhassan Nasiru, Aremeaw Alhassan, Alhassan Abdul-Rahman, and Paul Asue by gunshots at the Techiman South Constituency Collation Center, carried out by security forces deployed by the State of Ghana, violated their rights to life under Article 13(1) of the 1992 Constitution and their rights to human dignity under Article 12(1) of the 1992 Constitution,” Justice Nawurah stated.
Incident Details
The court noted that on December 8, 2020, during the collation of the Techiman South parliamentary election results, tensions rose as crowds chanted slogans and exhibited riotous behavior. Security forces responded with gunfire, allegedly to control the crowd, which resulted in several severe injuries and one fatality.
Case Background
The six victims argued that the security officers’ actions amounted to a blatant disregard for their fundamental human rights to life and protection from torture, as outlined in the 1992 Constitution and international human rights conventions. They sought a declaration from the court that their rights were violated and demanded GH¢5 million each in compensation.
Indiscriminate Firing by Security Forces
Justice Nawurah, citing video evidence, concluded that the applicants sustained gunshot wounds due to the actions of security forces. The court found that the use of firearms was unjustified and amounted to indiscriminate firing, violating the rights of peaceful participants and bystanders.
The Attorney-General and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) failed to provide evidence that the force used was necessary or lawful. The court stressed that firearms should only be used when absolutely necessary to protect lives, not as a crowd control measure.
“I find that the injury of the applicants by state security forces was not based on any reasonable justification for defense against violence or to suppress a riot. They were injured due to the indiscriminate firing of weapons into the crowd,” the court concluded.