Bawku police retrieve 67 guns

(Ghanaian Times) -- Police on operational duties at Bawku have so far retrieved 67 guns of various make. They are 50 shotguns and 17 pistols each with capacity for seven rounds of ammunition.

Twenty-nine owners of the seized guns have already been prosecuted and fines ranging from ?100,000 to ?1 million were imposed on them while six others are still on trial. Mr Paul Quaye, (DCOP) Upper East Regional Police Commander, and Mr F. Aboagye Nyarko, Regional crime Officer, have both expressed dissatisfaction with the low levels of fines, which according to them, were not deterrent enough.

In an interview with the ‘Times’ at Bawku on Wednesday, the officers particularly expressed concern over the ?1 million fine imposed on Emmanuel Winam, a farmer, arrested with four AK 47 assault rifles which he attempted to smuggle into Bawku and appealed for stiffer penalties.

They gave the assurance that the situation in Bawku was well under control and that had resulted in the return to normalcy and the peace currently prevailing in the area. Members of both factions were going about their normal business they said, stressing that all the security services were firmly on the ground, contrary to inflammatory statements that the situation was volatile. To enhance their continued smooth operations, the police administration has set up a clinic with a medical team to cater for not only the police and security agencies but the public as well.

In a related development, the vigilance of the police, the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and military personnel at the Binduri checkpoint resulted in the interception of an Albion cargo truck with 10 teak electric poles valued at ?20 million and suspected to have been stolen.

The driver of the truck, according to the Regional Crime officer, Mr Nyarko, jumped out of the vehicle and escaped. But two other occupants, Evans Abaluk and Salifu Sibik were arrested and are helping the police in their investigations. The truck, together with the poles, has been impounded at the Bawku Police Station. The Assembly Member for Mognori electoral area, in the Bawku East District, Mr Zukari Osman, had reported to the police that 10 poles meant for extension of electricity to the area had been stolen