Violence has erupted in Hamile, a border town in the Lambusie District of the Upper West Region, after allegations surfaced that a Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officer collaborated with Burkinabe security operatives to abduct the wife of a wanted Burkinabe national.
The incident has led to the destruction of property and the deployment of additional security personnel to the area.
Hamile West Assembly Member, Mohammed Fatawu, told Citi News that tensions rose after residents discovered the alleged plot. He claimed the immigration officer tracked the woman’s movements to facilitate her capture.
“One of the immigration officers conspired with some security from Burkina Faso to kidnap one of our brothers’ wives. The man is wanted in Burkina Faso but currently lives in Côte d’Ivoire. Since they could not find him, they targeted his wife,” Fatawu alleged.
He said the woman was abducted while traveling from Côte d’Ivoire through Nandom, sparking outrage among residents. “The people believed she was being taken away to be killed. They vowed to retaliate by killing the immigration officer or burning the offices,” he added.
During the unrest, protesters set fire to the officer’s pickup truck, a phone shop, and a Burkinabe security operative’s motorcycle. Fatawu also confirmed that a woman identified as Mahamata collapsed and died from what was suspected to be a blood pressure-related attack.
Police and military reinforcements have since been deployed, but tensions remain high.
The Public Relations Officer of the GIS in the Upper West Region, Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul Mumin, said security officials were holding an emergency meeting and would issue a statement afterward.
