Police foil assassination attempt on chief
The chief said after realising that his life was in danger, he called some of the youth who were around to guard his house, including the house where the suspect was hiding
Tension is mounting in the Lakpo community in the Agave traditional area in the South Tongu District of Volta Region, following a suspected assassination attempt on a local chief, Togbe Abordor VIII.
The youth of the town have already vowed to do everything possible to protect the chief and also ensure that the suspect is duly prosecuted.
Narrating the incident to The Chronicle at Lakpo, Togbe Abordor, who is also a Divisional chief of the Agave clan said on Saturday, September 11, 2021 about 2pm, he returned home from a funeral. His wives informed him that a man came looking for him and when they (his wives) told the suspected assassin that he (chief) was not around, he took offence and left with the promise to come back.
Togbe further told The Chronicle that whilst in his house conversing with a friend, the alleged assassin came again, went straight toone of his wives and asked whether he (chief) had come back. Although the chief and his friend were sitting under a tree and having a chat, the wife again told the man that her husband was still not in the house.
TogbeAbordor alleged that when the suspected assassin left his house for the second time, because he did not meet him, he overheard a woman in the next house telling him (suspected assassin) that the chief was the one sitting under the tree.
This compelled the suspect to turn and start walking towards him. According to Togbe Abordor, as the suspect was heading to him, he saw a pistol on him, which he quickly covered with his shirt.
The chief said after realising that his life was in danger, he called some of the youth who were around to guard his house, including the house where the suspect was hiding. He then quickly called the police to arrest the suspicious man, whom he described as a ‘contract killer’.
Togbe said when the police arrived on the scene he led them to the house where the man was hiding. However, a resident of the house, called Emmanuel Agbenorku stood at the door and prevented the police from arresting the suspect.
The police, however, overpowered Agbenorku and entered the room and ordered the suspect to surrender the gun in his possession. The suspect, however, denied having a gun on him, but a thorough search led to the discovery of the gun, which had been loaded with eight rounds of bullets.
The chief said the suspect and Emmanuel Agbenorku were arrested and detained in police custody, but Agbenorku was later freed, leaving the suspect in custody.
TogbeAbordor narrated to The Chronicle that looking at the demeanour of the suspect, it was clear that he was contracted to kill him.
Togbe said he and his elders would make a formal complaint to the Tongu Divisional Police Command at Sogakope to ensure that the suspect was prosecuted, because in 2017, a member of the royal family, his direct uncle, was shot dead by an assailant on his farm.
He stressed that he and his subjects have total confidence in the police, particularly the Tongu Divisional Commander that the suspect would be prosecuted for attempting to assassinate him. He promised not to take the law into his own hands and that he would respect the work of the police.
The chief, however, pointed out that should the police delay with the case, he and his subjects will have no option than to use every available means to protect themselves.
When contacted, the South Tongu District Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Peter Kamasah confirmed the story and said the suspect was arrested at Lakpo and brought to the police at Sogakope for detention. He, however, said his alleged accomplice, Emmanuel Agbenorku, has been granted bail.
The crime officer said the police, who effected the arrest, dismantled the gun at the counter ofthe police station in the presence of both the complainant and the suspect and discovered that it was fully loaded with eight rounds of ammunitions.
Chief Superintendent Peter Kamasah, however, declined to comment on whether the gun was a registered one or not. He argued that revealing details of the gun to the media would affect his investigations into the case, hence his refusal to do so.
