6 victims of Techiman South electoral violence to receive GHC270k as compensation

The Wenchi High Court has ruled that the Government of Ghana must pay a total of GHC270,000 in compensation to six victims of the Techiman South Electoral violence.

The court presided over by Justice Frederick Nawurah, found that the victims’ rights to life and dignity had been violated during the 2020 general elections.

The violence in Techiman South, which erupted on December 8, 2020, resulted in the loss of eight lives and left many others injured. Among those affected, six individuals—Sulemana Elliasu, Abubakari Iddrisu, Alhassan Nasiru, Aremeyaw Alhassan, Alhassan Abdul-Rahman, and Paul Asue—took legal action, seeking 25 million cedis in compensation. The father of an 18-year-old boy who was killed in the violence also joined the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs argued that the injuries and death were caused by gunfire from security officers deployed by the government during the election. They sought a court declaration that the killings and injuries violated their fundamental human rights, including the right to life and the right to human dignity, as outlined in Article 15 of the 1992 Constitution and various international conventions.

In his judgment, Justice Nawurah upheld the claims of the victims, ruling that their rights had indeed been breached. The court granted the reliefs sought, including a declaration that the shooting incident violated their rights to life and dignity. Additionally, the judge ordered an investigation into the shooting and called for the prosecution of the perpetrators when identified.