Accra, March 11, GNA – The Minister of the Interior on the advice of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has by Executive Instrument extended the imposition of curfew in Bawku to Pusiga; Zabugu, Binduri and Zoosi, all in the Upper East Region, with immediate effect. The curfew will start from 1500 hours and end 0700 hours each day, a press release Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of The Interior, signed on Tuesday said.
The extension of the curfew to these towns and their environs has been necessitated by the spread of violent clashes in the Bawku Municipality to these towns.
The release said: “The Military and Police presence is being beefed up in these areas as is being done in the Bawku area.
“The Government will like to remind the public that the ban on all persons in the Bawku Municipal Area; Pusiga; Binduri; Zoosi and Zabugu Townships and their environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapon still remains in force and any person found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted. “The Government continues to appeal to all the factions to exercise restraint whilst Government looks at ways to bring peace to the area.”
The reviewed of the curfew followed the killing of two men on Tuesday morning.
The two men, Lawal Muntala, 44 and Sulemana Moro, 44, were killed at the outskirts of the town, about four kilometres away from the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
Even though the real cause of the crime had not been ascertained, people attributed it to the conflict, whose embers were dying off, and therefore started rioting and causing mayhem in the town, Mr Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, Upper East Regional Commander of Police, told the go and buy cattle and had some money on them.
The Regional Police Commander said four houses were burnt in the ensuing violence, adding that the occupants of those houses said the pillagers looted their houses before torching them. “As a result, the Security imposed an emergency curfew starting from 1500 hours to 0600 hours and have asked people to go into their houses,” Captain Victor Abbey, Officer Commanding, Ghana Air Bourne Force, Bawku Detachment, told the GNA
He explained that the security had to act fast to stem off further violence and so thought it best to ask everyone to go indoors. He said the Police had arrested some suspects pending further investigations.
Government on Monday relaxed the curfew at Bawku and its environs from 1100 hours to nine hours following what it described as “the return of relative normalcy”. 11 March 08
Source: GhanaWeb
