Bawku - More than 80 lives lost

Page 64: Daily Graphic, April 22, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
MORE than 80 lives have been lost in the Bawku conflict since December 31, 2007 when the internecine conflict between the Kusasis and Mamprusis re-ignited.
Thirty people have also received gunshot wounds as a result of the conflict.
The conflict has further recorded 37 cases of arson involving 14 houses, five shops, 13 vehicles, two motorbikes and a communication centre.
So far, more than 10 people are in custody for their alleged roles in murders and attempted murders.
Seven other persons are on the wanted list of the police to assist in investigations.
The Upper East Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bright Oduro, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the death toll could be more because some of the deaths were not brought to the notice of the police.
He said since December 2009, 11 official deaths and 14 wounded cases had been reported to the police and explained that some of the killings were related to the conflict, while others were linked to robbery.
ACP Oduro noted that one of two persons in custody for taking part in barricading the Garu road and attacking travellers, for instance, did what he did on retaliatory grounds because the suspect, identified only as Samadu, had seven of his relatives killed in the Buabila massacre in June 2008 in which 17 women and children were hacked to death.
With regard to some of the criminal killings, he alleged that suspect Seidu Awale was behind the killing of Felix Asibi Frafra, a member of staff of the Bawku Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), on June 1, 2009.
ACP Oduro said three other persons — Ibrahim Taller, Zab and Medirel — were wanted in connection with the robbery and murder of a businessman, Suraju Ablabila, on January 30, 2010.
He said two other persons — Muniru Gariba and Muniru Welda — were wanted in connection with the murder of Alhaji Rufai Sumani on the Bawku-Sankasi road on September 6, 2009, while Mohammadu Iddrisu, alias Bush Rambo, was wanted in connection with the attempted murder of Fuseini Moro on October 29, 2009.
The Upper East Regional Police boss said an ex-soldier, identified only as Badim, alias Tanko, alias Most killer, was wanted in connection with the murder of Karim Oga in 2008.
ACP Oduro said the police were facing a number of challenges in dealing with the killings in Bawku.
He said apart from the fact that the people were not volunteering information to assist the police, the perpetrators also took advantage of the darkness in Bawku to carry out their dastardly acts.
He noted that the perpetrators lived among the people but the people refused to identify them to the police and cited the fact that very often some of the people killed were hurriedly buried, without notifying the police.
He said the chiefs and opinion leaders did not advise the youth to stop the killings and counter attacks.
ACP Oduro said the link roads were also very bad and highly unmotorable, making it difficult for the police to move in swiftly to deal with attacks.