Ejura killings: ‘Kneeling soldier’ fired into protestors’- Victim’s brother contradicts 4BN commander’s claim

A brother of one of the deceased persons of the Ejura disturbances, Abdul-Nasir Yussif, says the soldier who was captured kneeling down with his gun aimed at protestors actually fired into the crowd.

According to him, when the military personnel got to the scene, they did not even attempt to disperse the demonstrators, but started firing warning shots and later fired directly into the crowd.

This is contrary to the testimony of the Commanding Officer of the 4th Infantry Battalion.

Lt. Col. Kwesi Ware Peprah stated that the soldier who was captured kneeling and aiming his gun at the protesting youth did not fire live rounds directly at the protestors.

According to him, the soldier only knelt and aimed the gun as a way of scaring the protestors.

He said such a posture is acceptable as part of the standard operating procedure the security agencies use in tackling protests such as the one that occurred in Ejura.

But speaking before the 3-member committee leading the public inquiry into the Ejura disturbances on Monday, July 12, 2021, Mr. Yussif stated that the military started firing shots as soon as they got to the scene.

“The military gave two warning shots immediately after they alighted from their vehicles. They were about seven to eight. So immediately I realised what was going on, I started running away. While trying to escape, I felt one of the bullets running over my head. I then saw one of the military men knelt and shot again and again. I then took my motorbike and went back to the office.”