An alarming encounter has shaken the town of Berekum in the Bono Region of Ghana, after a police officer reportedly bit off a portion of the nose of a young man in a fight over queue jumping to get discounted rice.
The officer, whose name is not mentioned, is alleged to have ass@ulted the man Innusah Mohammed, 24, during an exchange of heated words at a government-organized free rice distribution exercise.
The rice that has just had an enormous price reduction from GH 700 to GH 250 for a 25kg bag in the new Mahama government is attracting huge crowds to purchase the commodity.
Eyewitnesses report that the police officer tried to jump the queue, which prompted the verbal protest of the people who had spent hours waiting in the hot sun.
The situation between the officer and Innusah quickly got out of hand and what followed was an alleged violent attack where the officer bit Innusah nose causing him to bleed profusely and go into shock.
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The victim later gave a video testimony of what happened to her, which has since become viral, causing people to cry foul on social media.
Most Ghanaians are demanding the arrest and prosecution of the officer immediately, as they described his actions as unacceptable and disgraceful to a uniformed person.
One social media user bitterly questioned how she would tell her kids that she lost her nose to rice.
Another one said, “This is beyond the rice- it is self-control and accountability. Such v!olence must never be used by a police officer.”
Outrage of the People Increases
Although the decrease of rice prices has been a welcome reprieve to many cash-strapped households, it has also brought along tensions and pandemonium in various locations, as individuals scramble to capitalize on the new prices.
The Berekum incident is being interpreted as an indication of more underlying problems in law enforcement and economic management.
At this point, the official statement of the authorities is not yet released. Residents are awaiting the police service and the Interior Ministry to handle the issue in a transparent and quick manner, locals say.
The event has led the nation to discuss the topic of police behavior and community anger and crowd control during economic transition.
