The Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), ACFO II Nisawu Kwame Rashid, has vowed to pursue full justice for the firefighter who was stabbed during an emergency response at Adjiringanor last Friday.
His comments come after 21-year-old Azumah Sampson, the prime suspect in the attack, was arraigned in court.
According to ACFO II Nisawu, the suspect appeared before court on Wednesday morning and was remanded into police custody for two weeks. He is expected to reappear on December 10, 2025.
He confirmed that Sampson has been charged with causing bodily harm to a fire officer but expressed dissatisfaction with the charge, arguing that the attack could easily have resulted in death.
“To be honest with you, I wanted murder. Because what he did—if the officer had not used his left hand to block the stab and it had entered his stomach—we would have been talking about a different story,” he said. “But since the law enforcement agencies advised that we go for bodily harm, we want to stick to that.”
ACFO II Nisawu noted that the suspect appeared remorseful in court, but insisted this would not sway the Service from seeking justice.
“His crying in court will not stop us. These attacks have gone on for far too long. We are doing this to show our officers that leadership is firmly behind them.”
He emphasised that securing a conviction is critical—not only for the injured officer, who suffered a stab wound to the left arm, but also to reassure other firefighters that their sacrifices will not be taken for granted.
“We cannot let these attacks discourage our men. When others are running away from their homes because the place is engulfed by fire, we go there to save lives and property. We will work hard to ensure justice so that our officers know they are not alone.”
The GNFS credited the White Chapel Youth Group in Madina and members of the public for assisting Fire Officers in tracking down and apprehending the suspect. The attack occurred during efforts to control a fire that destroyed seven rooms in a two-storey building near Ability Square in Adjiringanor on November 14.
Source: Citi Newsroom
