Not all killings in Bawku are ethnic-related – Adib Saani

Security Analyst Adib Saani has asserted that the violent attacks and murders witnessed in the Upper East Regional capital, Bawku, are not all because of chieftaincy and ethnic impasse in the town.

According to him, some criminal gangs in the region are taking advantage of the tense security situation created by the chieftaincy and ethnic conflict to cause havoc in Bawku.

In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, Saani added that parties in the conflict must realise that criminals are taking advantage of the situation they have created to terrorise their own people.

"Even though there have been several reported cases of alleged targeted killings in the Bawku area in the past few years, it must be recognised that not all the killings are ethnically related.

"Criminal elements have taken advantage of the situation to engage in murder, human and arms trafficking. They are emboldened because they are easily able to throw the police and general population off course because of the conflict.

"Bawku residents would have to understand that beyond the conflict between the two ethnic groups, there is a third opportunistic criminal force riding on the back of conflict to terrorise people there," parts of the statement read.

The security analyst made these remarks while reacting to reports of another murder in Bawku.

On Tuesday, August 25, 2022, a group of unknown gunmen reportedly attacked the Timber Market at Bawku.

According to a report by Oyerepafmonline.com, the attack resulted in a man's death while another victim sustained injuries in the incident near the Bawku Police Station.

The attackers, who also broke into shops within the township, set several wood shops ablaze during the attack.

It is said to have taken the intervention of personnel of the Fire Service to douse the fire and prevent it from wreaking more havoc.

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