Bawku clashes: 13 persons arrested for sporadic shooting – Chieftaincy Minister

• Some people have been picked up by the police in Bawku for their involvement in disturbances in the area
• The suspects, 13 in number will be prosecuted in Accra for fomenting trouble with regards to chieftaincy in the area
• The minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ebenezer Kojo Kum, said the police will continue to arrest those who foment trouble

Thirteen people have been arrested by the Upper East Regional Police Command, for their involvement in the pockets of disturbance in Bawku.

The suspects were apprehended following sporadic shootings in a renewed chieftaincy clash in Bawku which led to the loss of lives and the destruction of property on Monday, December 28, 2021.

In a report filed by Citinewsroom.com, the minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ebenezer Kojo Kum who confirmed the arrests said persons who continue to instigate violence in the area will continually be picked up by the police.

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According to the minister, the current disturbance going on in Bawku is unwarranted because there is no ambiguity about the status of the Bawku overlord.

Kojo Kum however, says security agencies should show no mercy in dealing with persons causing violence as they have been engaged but to no avail.

The incident has increased tensions in the town which have resulted in heavy security deployment to the communities within the municipality.

Though calm has been restored in Bawku, various stakeholders are appealing to factions in the conflicts to resort to non-violent ways in resolving their differences.

Since November 2021, Bawku has witnessed renewed clashes triggered by various ethnic events over the status of the overlord.

Prior to that, there have been sporadic shootings in parts of the town following attempts to perform final funeral rites for a Chief who died about 41 years ago.

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Why has Batakari been banned in Bawku?

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council had banned the wearing of smocks, popularly known as Batakari in Bawku.

The directive by the coordinating council is in a bid to prevent criminals and unscrupulous persons from hiding weapons in them to harm people.

According to a report filed by Citinewsroom, the council said its decision stemmed from the fact that some unscrupulous were hiding arms and ammunition in smocks to attack residents.

“... the wearing of smock in Bawku Township has been banned with immediate effect. This was necessitated by the fact that criminals or unscrupulous elements hide arms and ammunition in smocks and attack opponents or innocent civilians,” a portion of a statement read.

Source: YEN.com.gh