A tragic incident has occurred in Walewale, North East Region, where a polling station executive of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Bawah, was shot dead by the police less than an hour into the enforcement of a curfew.
The curfew was imposed by the Interior Ministry following two incidents allegedly connected to the Bawku crisis in the Walewale constituency.
The decision to impose the curfew has been met with criticism from Dr Mahama Tiah Abdul-Kabiru, the Member of Parliament for Walewale.
According to him, the decision was poorly made and politically motivated, and provides no solution to the underlying problem.
He stated that the Interior Ministry, together with the Ministry of Defense, consulted with MPs from the Bawku area without extending an olive branch to those affected in Walewale.
Abdul-Kabiru also questioned the selective application of the curfew, which he believes suggests that the lives of travelers to and from Bawku do not matter.
He pointed out that there have been at least 25 attacks in areas such as Binduri, Ziblila, Garu, and others, with three occurring in the last one month.
Despite this, the curfew only covers Walewale and its environs.
The MP also expressed concern about the military’s recent actions in the area, which he described as “unlawful, distasteful, and in bad faith.”
He alleged that the military had tortured civilians in Kukua, Loagri, Walewale, Gbimsi, and Wulugu communities, leading to the loss of one life and several others maimed.
Abdul-Kabiru has appealed to the public and people of Walewale to help the security services maintain peace in the area.
He also called on the Interior Ministry to review the decision to impose the curfew and engage comprehensively to achieve the common goal of peace and stability.
Meanwhile, the shooting of Alhaji Bawah has sparked widespread condemnation, with many describing it as an “unacceptable murder” of an innocent man.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
