Inmates freed, AK47s stolen during Western Togoland secessionists’ attacks on police stations

The raid by Western Togoland secessionists on the Aveyime and Mepe police stations led to release of cell inmates and the theft of 10 assault rifles.

According to a police communiqué sighted by Citi News, police personnel were also taken hostage during the attacks on the two police stations at around 1am on Friday.

The Aveyime divisional commander, Supt. Denis Fiakpui, had led his men to confront the attackers but at around 2:15 am, they were overpowered and he was disarmed and shot in the process.

He and a driver were first rushed to the Battor Hospital in the North Tongu District and later taken to the police hospital for further treatment.

A military reinforcement team from the Agorta Naval base eventually intervened and engaged the assailants at Tademe.

A gunfight ensued and three of the secessionists were wounded and later transported to the Sogakope government hospital.

One other was reportedly killed during the encounter according to the police communiqué.

Security officials say the military reinforcement team is currently on the ground at Aveyime and Mepe and attempts were made to move the injured who are in critical condition to the police hospital for further treatment.

Ghanaians woke up on Friday to reports that the Western Togoland secessionist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation, had blocked some major roads leading into the Volta Region.

They mounted roadblocks on the Juapong–Accra and Sogakope–Accra main roads.

But the police and military say “all the roadblocks have also been cleared and the security agencies have taken control of the highways and strategic installations within the Region.”

They also revealed that it had “foiled a plan by the Group to burn the Ho Central Market and other key installations.”

Now the security personnel say they are “in firm control of the situation.”

The Homeland Study Group wants a part of the Volta Region to be an autonomous country known as Western Togoland.

The group has made a number of attempts to push for the secession of the Volta Region from Ghana for the creation of a Western Togoland.

The group even declared independence for the Western Togoland on May 9, 2019.

The Western Togoland is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).