The Ghana Police Service upon further investigations has established that Laayaame Simon Yindoog aka Taakum was mistakenly killed by the Special Anti-Robbery squad for his alleged involvement in the burning to death of two police officers at Zuaruangu, in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region on December 16, 2021.
The two officers Constable Emmanuel Akowuah and Constable Adam Suley were on patrol duties and appeared in front of a shop that was under attack by three robbers. Sensing danger, the robbers opened fire on the two, killing them instantly.
Subsequently, the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Akufu Dampare stormed the region with a Special Anti-Robbery Squad that was tasked with the responsibility of apprehending the suspects.
The Squad on December 18, 2021, stormed a drinking spot at Kpatia at about 8:00 pm, where Simon Yindoog, was, and pulled him out as one of the suspects. He was subsequently shot and killed.
In a statement, the police explained that the 34-year-old miner who was a staff of a large-scale mining company, Earl International Group Mining Limited based in Gbane in the Talensi District, a father of 8 children and husband of 3 women, was one of the suspects in the killing of the two officers at Zuaruangu.
After further investigations established that the miner was indeed at post at the mining company and could not have been part of the 3-man robbery squad, the police, decided to compensate the family with 150, 000 Ghana Cedis.
The Family of the late Yindoog was left distraught as he was laid to rest eternally on Saturday, 2nd June 2023, at Sheaga, in the Talensi District. The three wives were in uncontrollable tears as they are now left with the sole responsibility of taking of the 8 children.
Speaking during a funeral mass prior to his burial, Moses Nawaak Kolog, brother of the deceased, said the family is shocked over how the police arrived at a compensation package of 150,000.
He added that the promise to bear the funeral cost was not fulfilled as the family was made to pay 37,000 cedis as mortuary fees.
As part of the compensation, two of his children or relatives are expected to be recruited into the Ghana Police Service. An agreement that is yet to be fulfilled.
“We will like to inform Ghanaians and the world at large that the late Simon Laayaame was not guilty of the alleged crime. Thus, we will like to inform Ghanaians that he was not an armed robber and he was not associated with any robbery case because the police have compensated the family with an amount of 150,000 cedis and this wouldn’t have been possible if our brother was guilty.”
The family is equally demanding that police officers responsible for his death must be brought to book and that the Ghana Police Service should issue a statement to the effect that they wrongly killed the late Simon Laayaame Yindoog.
