…defiant soldier sacked for ‘attacking’ bawku naba palace; as youth chases MCE and Yerimiah.
By Haruna Sumaila Abugri
Military personnel deployed to keep peace in the Bawku municipality of the Upper East Region have been accused of killing unarmed civilians. Among the casualties is a nine-year old boy who was shot to death at Buabula when the soldiers allegedly invaded the area. Two other persons including a teenaged girl was killed.
Three soldiers are said to be nursing gunshot wounds, following an alleged shoot-out between the soldiers and some civilians. The soldiers are said to have invaded the area in the middle of the night and that seem to have sparked the allegedshoot-out between the soldiers and the residents who are said to have had a bitter history of a similar incident some 14 years ago when some civiliansinvadedthe same area at night in military uniforms and slaughtered children, aged men and women including a pregnant woman.
Interestingly, one of the three injured soldiers is said to be a Nalerigu born Mamprusi. His tribal makeup, makes him an interested party in the unending Bawku chieftaincy conflict.
Emmanuel Suayam with service number 213451 (6BN) is said to have had his basic education at Mount Sina basic school in the upper East region town of Bolgatanga.
He was born in Nalerigu. His father, Suayam Joseph Mambelimba is the headmaster of the Nakpanduri secondary school and a one-time patron of the Mamprusis student union during his days as a tutor at the Nalerigu secondary school.
Many are wondering the diligence employed by the military command in selecting personnel to keep peace in the Bawku municipality. Some have opined that the inclusion of the said officer was deliberately done considering the alleged manner in which the now wounded officer and some other officers who invaded the Buabula community went there by foot under the cover of darkness.
In the said raid which saw the three military personnel receiving injuries, the embattled military team, whom this paper is informed went to the community without the knowledge of the municipal policecommand had to allegedly flee the community and reported to the Bawku police command and a reinforcement team was dispatched in a in multiple armored cars to the area. This very team, our sources disclosed then went in a killing and destroying spree in the community.
The military high command is said to have denied invading the said communities, despite available footages, videos as well as eye witnesses’ accounts.
In a release, the command denied killing unarmed civilians. Therelease however went silent on the ethnic background of Emmanuel Sueyam.
The inclusion of Emmanuel Suayem in the team of soldiers present in Bawku and the strange manner in which the soldiers attacked the Buabula community is not only raising questions relative to the professionalism and genuineness of the deployed solders in the trouble area, but also their impartiality.
None of the suspects arrested over the June 28, 2008 killing incident at Buabulawas jailed, something that left many unsatisfied.
Youth chases Amadu Hamza and Sule Yerimiah
On top of the persons accused of taking sides in the recent violence are Amadu Hamza, the embattle municipal chief executive of the area and one Sule Yerimiah, said to be his uncle and a member of the council of state.
A youth group called Kussaug youth Association in a press release cited the two as persons whose actions and inactionshave resulted in the Buabula incident.
The group asserted that“Why is Hon. Hamza Amadu conniving with his uncle, Sule Yerimia to forcefully send traders at the Highway market square to the main market when he is fully aware that both Mamprusis and Kusasis out of mistrust don’t mingle at the moment?
The group, further noted“In an interview with Citi FM, Hon. Hamza failed to sympathize with relatives of the nine-year-old boy who was killed alongside two others by his politically imported military men. He spoke with joy because the victims are his enemies.
He lost same voice when some Moshie men were killed some few weeks back by his Mamprusis uncles. He forced the interviewer to end the interview, but yesterday he spoke with happiness and smiles. The gods of the land shall deal with him.
We are calling on the president to consider dismissing the not-trusted-bias municipal chief executive and Sule Yerimiah for lasting peace to return to Bawku. With these two wicket men at the forefront of governance, Bawku will continue to bleed.”
The group called on the military high command to investigate the killings and brutalities of unarmed civilians. They accused the head of the municipal security council of rejoicing at the killing of the unarmed Buabula residents and as such called on the gods of the land to punish him “we have seen the posture of Mr. Amadu Hamza and will like to let him know we have taken his happily mood in our most saddened times in good faith and has left him to the gods of Kussaug”.
Another youth group named Kusaug Youth Movement, has also accused the duo of bias. They called on the president to dismiss Hon. Amadu Hamza.
Effort to reach the embattled head of the Municipal security council went futile has text messages sent to his MTN number received no response.
Sule Yerimiah has been accused of using his influence at a member of the council of state to manipulate the Municipal chief executive who is his nephew. He is equally accused of manipulating the movement of the military personnel in the troubled municipality. He was fingered in the ‘order-from-above’ directive that saw an arrested accused released when the said accused was arrested with some imported worriers.
Alhaji Abagre Digo’s arrest and the order-from-above saga.
This outlet can report authoritatively that in the evening hours of Saturday, 12 March 2022, the police in Bawku upon intelligence arrested one Alhaji Digo at his house in Bawku with some alleged imported worriers. surprisingly, the police have to succumb to political pressure to free the businessman and his other accused. The police, our sources revealed gently drove them back to the very house they were arrested in a police vehicle. The development has angered many as they questioned the free hands of the police as well as other security officers keeping peace in Bawku.
The embattled businessman was a principal suspect in the 2008 Buabula killings. Some of the military uniforms allegedly used to perpetuate the said crime at the time were purportedly found in his room.
Defiant palace shooting-soldier axed.
A yet to be identified soldier who defiantly shot sporadically at close range at the palace of the Bawku Naba is said to have been taken out of the distress municipality by his superiors. Sources told this outlet that the moment news of the injury of the three soldiers reached the camp of the soldiers, the trigger-happy soldier got angry and shot sporadically and threatened to kill. His behavior was reported to his superiors and he was immediately moved out of the war town. Many have condemned the action of the Military. Founder of the All Peoples Congress, Dr. Hassan Ayariga in a media interview condemned the brutalities and killings and called on the military personnel to exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their duty.
Alhaji Ibrahim Zangeo ‘regent’ claim.
One Alhaji Ibrahim Zangeo is said to be projecting himself as a regent of Bawku. This development, this outlet can report is creating confusion in the municipality. The renewed chieftaincy gun battle between the two-rival tribes; Kusasis and Mamprusis is trace to a purported performance of a final funeral rites of one Alhaji Ibrahim who died some 42 years ago. They have been calls for the arrest of the said Alhaji Ibrahim. A civil society organization, going by the name Anchoring Democracy Advocacy movement Ghanain a petition called on the inspector general of police to arrest him over what they described as his act of illegality regarding the Bawku skin.
Pusiganaba fumes after palace ransack.
The Upper East Regional police commander, Dr. Sayibu Pabi Gariba and some military personnel on March 16, 2022 stormed the palace of the chief of Pusiga in search of arms. The Rambo style search which saw windows and doors broken yielded no results as the police cum military search team foundno arms in the palace.
The development has left the chief of Pusiga and his elders unhappy. In a presser held at his palace a day after the search, the chief called for an immediate apology from the security apparatus for the embarrassment done to the people of Pusiga. He equally requested for a 24hour security protection.
Soldiers accused of ‘stealing’ monies and phones.
Petty traders at the highways mini market are accusing military personnel of ‘stealing’ their mobile phones and monies as well as destroying property. On March 16, 2022, military personnel deployed to the Highways enclave went on rampage; beating up traders and vandalizing properties. Footages seen by this outlet had food, tables as well as tricycles destroyed.
The affected traders at a press conference described as shameful the actions of the military. They called for a full-scale investigation into the action of the military.
Many have described the renewed chieftaincy conflict as an act of criminality. For many, there is no chieftaincy issue in Bawku so far as the matter was dealt with at the supreme court. The president of the republic, Nana Akuffo Addo, on several occasion pronounced that there is no rivalry as far as the Bawku skin is concern.
One of the numerous persons standing trial for their various alleged roles in the renewed conflict, Naa Tampuri is alleging on an audio tape that prominent government officials and traditional leaders facilitated their release during their stay in cell at Accra.
More to come!
