The tragic killing of 21-year-old soldier Sherif Imoro in Ashaiman Taifa has shocked the nation and sparked widespread outrage, especially following a military operation in the area that left dozens detained and residents traumatized.

Sherif, a trumpeter with the Ghana Armed Forces Band stationed in Sunyani, had traveled to Accra for a military course and had been visiting his family in Ashaiman every Friday. According to his father, Awudu Imoro, this past Friday marked the third time he had returned home during his stay.

On Friday, March 3, Sherif reportedly got off a commercial vehicle at Ashaiman Taifa due to heavy traffic. It was there, near the local court building, that he was fatally attacked by unknown assailants. Preliminary reports suggest the gang may have mistaken him for a robber. He was stabbed and left to die at the scene.

Sherif’s lifeless body was later found wearing torn military camouflage trousers, his face covered with a cap and white cloth. His backpack, also in camouflage, lay nearby.

Victim’s Background

Sherif was born on June 3, 2001, in Ashaiman and completed his secondary education at Akwamuman SHS in 2017. He joined the Ghana Armed Forces in October 2021, trained in Daboya, and was deployed to Sunyani after graduation.

According to his family, he informed them earlier this year that he would be in Accra for a training program and intended to visit them weekly during his stay.

Military Reaction Sparks Fear and Condemnation

In the early hours of Tuesday, March 7, heavily armed soldiers flooded Ashaiman with helicopters, armored vehicles, and boots on the ground, allegedly in retaliation for the soldier’s death. At least 184 residents were detained in a swoop widely criticized as excessive and indiscriminate.

Ashaiman MP Ernest Henry Norgbey confirmed the mass arrests and expressed deep concern over what he described as the brutalization of innocent civilians.

“I spoke with the police commander, and he told me the military is still in the constituency, molesting innocent residents,” the MP said in an interview. “This operation appears to have been sanctioned at the highest level.”

The Taifa neighborhood came to a standstill as terrified residents imposed a self-curfew, locking themselves indoors while military personnel conducted aggressive searches. Eyewitnesses reported seeing people being dragged from vehicles and beaten.

“They said, ‘You people killed our colleague,’ and beat anyone they saw,” one resident recalled.

Another witness described waking up at 4 a.m. to an eerie silence in an area usually bustling with morning activity. “Shops were closed, roads deserted, and soldiers were everywhere,” he said.

The military’s actions have sparked fierce public backlash. Many, including human rights groups, have condemned the operation as unlawful and inhumane. The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) criticized the raid for failing to meet the standard of an intelligence-led operation.

Meanwhile, photos and videos of Sherif Imoro’s body circulated online over the weekend, fueling public emotion and raising further questions about the motive behind the killing.

The Ghana Police Service has yet to release an official statement on the murder, but investigations are underway. Sherif’s death and the aftermath have left a scar on Ashaiman — one that residents and the nation will not soon forget.