The insecurity situation in Bawku in the Upper East Region seems to be more dire and catastrophic than meets the public eye.
Expressing worry over the situation in an interview on Accra-based Joy FM, Municipal Chief Executive for the area, Amadu Hamza said clashes between the feuding factions mostly occur in hard to reach areas.
As a result, many people have been killed and buried without the knowledge of security personnel.
“I can tell you that it is difficult to ascertain in the sense that police report which is official is different from what is happening on the ground. I can tell you that many people have died and their bodies were never given to police, police is not aware of them and so because of them, it is difficult to certain the exact number of people who are injured or died,” Mr. Hamza said.
He indicated that families, who lose their relatives in such combats, usually do not want the security agency knowing and thus, hide the bodies from the reach of authorities.
Mr. Hamza believes more than 200 people have been killed in the protracted conflict since its renewable in 2021, a figure more than what the police has reported.
“I’m so worried about it because the combating takes place at locations where it is difficult for the police or the military to even get to know. Before you realise, somebody is hit.
They kill somebody and then the group will take the person and run away. How will you be able to know that? But I can tell you that the number of persons who have died will hit 200 plus”.
The MCE made this revelation while confirming fresh attacks in the area that have led to the death of one person and the injury of 3 others.
The attacks are said to have occurred over the weekends when unidentified assailants besieged the commercial street of the town near the Total Filling Station and opened fire at a crowd of people going about their normal daily activities.
The incident resulted in the death of one person, who has been identified as Paul Agyemang Konadu, a teacher at Zamse Senior High/Technical School.
3 others including 2 females have also been left with various degrees of injuries.
The police, Mr. Hamza indicated, has since made some arrests in connection with the attacks.
The Bawku conflict, which broke out as result of a chieftaincy dispute between the Kusaasis and the Mamprusis tribes, has persisted for decades now.
Government has, over the years, deployed various measures to tackle the situation and restore peace to the area. All have, however, failed to yield any positive result.
