Bench warrant issued for the re-arrest of 13 Delta Force escapees

A bench warrant has been issued for the re-arrest of 13 Delta Force members who escaped from courtroom on Thursday April 6.

According to ASP Nketiah Yeboah, the public relations officer of the Ashanti Regional Police, eight people have been arrested for their role in freeing the suspects.

What happened?

Some members of Delta Force, a vigilante group associated with the governing New Patriotic Party, besieged the Kumasi Circuit Court and freed its members who were facing charges for attacking the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator.

READ ALSO: NPP's vigilante group storms court to free suspects

Reports suggest that the group nearly assaulted the Judge, Mary Senkyire and also destroyed some court properties.

Thirteen (13) members of the group were detained after the group assaulted the newly appointed Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.

According to Accra-based Class FM, only two police officers were on duty at the court at the time, with one of them being pregnant. However, they managed to get judge Mary Nsenkyire to safety, while Delta Force members vandalised property at the court.

READ ALSO: Police arrest eight vigilante members who stormed court to free suspects on trial

Analysis

Vigilante groups and the mayhem they cause are not new in Ghanaian politics with the two main political parties, the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress have been criticised for harbouring such groups; under the disguise of private security.

The police have also been censured for failing to bring these groups to face the law.

The government was hoping to send a strong signal that it was not going to tolerate violence perpetuated by vigilante groups. However, with this latest incident, a violent attack on the judiciary, Ghanaians would looking to see the next move made by the police.