The government has imposed a curfew on Hamile Township and surrounding communities in the Lambussie District of the Upper West Region following an explosion that killed an Immigration officer and two civilians.
The curfew, which takes immediate effect, requires residents to remain indoors between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, the Ministry of the Interior said the restriction was imposed on the advice of the National Security Council through an Executive Instrument.
The government has also prohibited the possession of firearms, ammunition and other offensive weapons in the affected communities, warning that anyone who violates the restrictions will be arrested and prosecuted.
The measures follow an explosion involving a motor tricycle suspected to have been carrying explosives during an Immigration patrol operation near the Ghana-Burkina Faso border.
Preliminary reports indicate that officers spotted three suspected smugglers allegedly transporting goods towards Burkina Faso. The group reportedly comprised two teenagers on a motor tricycle and an elderly man riding a motorbike ahead of them.
The officers pursued the suspects, and during the chase, gunfire allegedly struck items believed to be explosives on the tricycle, triggering the blast.
The explosion killed one of the teenagers and an Immigration officer instantly. The elderly suspect also died, bringing the death toll to three.
A second Immigration officer and the elderly suspect were initially reported to have sustained serious injuries and were taken to Nandom Hospital for treatment.
