Security Analyst Adib Saani has condemned the increasing presence of military officers in civilian environments.
His comments are in response to a recent attack by some military officers on a plain-clothed police officer on a motorcycle, over an alleged traffic infraction by the police officer.
Adib Saani described the altercation as disturbing and bemoaned the danger risks the military officers had placed innocent civilians in.
He also called the situation a serious threat to national security.
”We are not in a military regime. That is why I stand on it that soldiers should be in the barracks. For two armed people to go head on in that section is disturbing and could have been worst so imagine if anyone of them had been triggered enough to fire at the other, there’ll be definitely a response from the other party which could have led to the death of innocent bystanders. It’s a sad scenario, it poses a serious security threat to the state,” he said.
Adib Saani called for the stop to excess interaction between soldiers and civilians and tasked security leaders to prevent the menace from repeating.
According to him, the presence of military in civilian environment could also lead to the decrease of the general public’s respect for the police force.
”[Excess military] interaction with civilians is dangerous and has to stop. The commander in chief of the armed forces and the President have a big role to play. Soldiers are used all over the place and that is not right because we have police service act 350 that is categorical about the police in detecting and catching criminals which is not the work of the military but rather defend. It is said that if you play with a puppy, at a point, it will lick your lips so if you avail the military too much to the civilians, at a point the police won’t be respected and that is why I think we need to act as a matter of urgency.”
An eyewitness of the event had revealed that despite the police officer’s pleas and his self-identification as an Inspector to ward off attacks by the military officers, he was still pummeled for what was described as a traffic infraction.
It was revealed that the police officer went to the Accra Central Police Station to report the incident afterwards.
