A Lance Corporal serving with the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) has been granted a promotion to the rank of Corporal as a result of his successful capture of a fugitive who had escaped from the Ahinsan Camp Prison in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
Cpl Edward Opoku, assigned service number 11557, is also a sound engineer with the Prison’s Master Piece Band and has been a valued member of the Prison Service Band unit since he joined in December 2016.
In recognition of his bravery and exemplary conduct in apprehending the escaped fugitive on December 3 last year at Bomfa Akyiase in the Ashanti Region, Cpl Opoku was rewarded with the promotion during a brief ceremony in Accra. The event was attended by high-ranking officials of the GPS, as well as his colleagues, family, and friends, who gathered to celebrate his achievement.
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Detailing the events leading to the capture, Cpl Opoku explained that he was on his way to visit a friend in Asiwa, Kumasi, when the journey was interrupted as the commercial vehicle he was on stopped at Bomfa Akyiase. It was then that he learned from local residents that a fugitive who had escaped from prison had been caught for stealing a mobile phone.
Putting his life at risk, Cpl Opoku intervened to protect the fugitive from an angry mob that was on the verge of taking justice into their own hands. Despite sustaining injuries during the rescue attempt, he managed to show his identification card to the crowd to prove his authority.
Once the escapee was freed from the mob, Cpl Opoku took him to a nearby police station in Pemenase since there was no police station in Bomfa Akyiase. However, the officers on duty refused to take the fugitive in, expressing concern that he might not survive due to the beatings he endured.
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Cpl Opoku then took the fugitive to a medical facility, where both received medical attention. Subsequently, the escapee was lodged at the Kumasi Central Prison before being transferred to the Prison’s headquarters in Accra.
During the ceremony honoring Cpl Opoku, the Director-General of the GPS, Isaac Kofi Egyir, praised him for his professionalism, courage, and dedication in recapturing the escapee. Mr. Egyir expressed hope that Cpl Opoku’s actions would inspire all personnel and officers in the service to remain committed to their duties.
Cpl Opoku expressed his gratitude to the GPS leadership, particularly Director-General Isaac Kofi Egyir, for bestowing him with the honor of an administrative promotion.
The recipient must have shown exceptional honesty, skill, bravery and efficiency”, he stated.
