CHRAJ Boss supports shoot to kill
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot
The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and
Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mr Francis Emile Short, has
declared his support for “shoot to kill,”
a popular phrase being used in
Ghana thes days.
The Commissioner says the police are
entitled, in self defence, to shoot to kill armed robbers
when the armed robbers engage them in shoot-outs.
The phrase was first used by the Minister of Interior, Cletus Avoka, recently in Accra to pledge his total support to
killings of armed robbers in the country.
"In such circumstances, the police are entitled to use as
much force as is necessary in self defence, even to shoot to
kill," he added.
Mr Short was, however, quick to add that where the lives of
policemen were not in danger, such as in instances when the
armed robbers surrendered or laid down their weapons, the
police were not supposed to shoot to kill.
Of late, the police have become merciless in their fight
against armed robbery and violent crime in a shoot-to-kill
approach, gun down about a dozen armed robbers in different
operations across the country.
While a section of the public has applauded the police for
their strong-arm tactics against armed robbers, some human
rights activists are not happy with the approach of the
police, calling them to be circumspect in the exercise of
their power of force of arms.
Ghanadot
