Lawyers of men killed in police operation in Upper East Region demand probe

Lawyers of men killed in police operation have called for an independent investigation into a police operation conducted on April 29, 2026 at Zuarungu in the Upper East Region. The lawyers, representing the families of two men who were killed and other individuals in police custody, questioned aspects of the Ghana Police Service's account regarding the alleged dismantling of a robbery gang in the region. Libran Consults issued a press statement acknowledging the police's constitutional mandate but argued that some details in the police account were inconsistent with information available to the affected families and eyewitnesses.

The lawyers stated that on the night of April 29, the individuals involved were at their residence in Zuarungu when police officers entered the premises and made multiple arrests. They said the suspects were seated and conversing, insisting that there was no exchange of gunfire. About ten individuals were arrested and transported to the Zuarungu Police Station, where they remained in custody. Four of those arrested were later released without charge the following day. On April 30 at about 9:45 a.m., Safianu Seidu was removed from police custody at the Zuarungu Police Station and taken to an undisclosed location. The families learned that Safianu Seidu and Shamsudeen Mohammed had allegedly sustained gunshot wounds during what police described as an "operation" and later died.

The lawyers have called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the deaths of the two men. They also urged the Ghana Police Service to disclose the full chain of events relating to the arrest, detention, movement, and alleged operational deployment of the deceased persons, including custody records and transfer logs. The legal representatives appealed to involve independent oversight institutions, particularly the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), to ensure transparency. The families reserve the right to pursue constitutional and civil legal action over what