The District Chief Executive for Mamprugu Moigduri in the Northern Region, Abu Adams, has threatened to cause the removal of all police officers in the area over tensions that continue to mount in a village called Kubogu, following the release of a suspect who ambushed and opened fire on a man and his four little boys.
The suspect, Amadu Ibrahim, a brother of the MP for Yagaba/Kubori constituency, attacked Karim Kasim, 38, and his children exactly a week today while they were returning from a popular gravel site with a tricycle fully loaded with the particles.
The suspect claimed the gravel concession belonged to his brother and accused Kasim of stealing.
Before Kasim could explain, angry Ibrahim allegedly pulled out his gun and started shooting. Kasim and the children managed to escaped unhurt. The suspect then targeted the tricycle and wrecked it with gunshots. Police found more than 15 emptied cartridge and about two live bullets when they visited the scene
The police did not arrest the suspect until Tuesday, three days after the incident occurred, until Starr News first run it on air. The refusal of the police to take action against the attacker angered some family members and friends of Kasim who threatened a reprisal.
The threats were growing so wild that it compelled the New Patriotic Party executives in the constituency to intervene in order to defuse the tensions and ensure calm in the overseas district known for severe impoverishment.
Many locals believe the police officers have been compromised and take instructions from the MP, who is feared by the people, especially women and children. Community leaders also share same believe.The police denied the allegation.
The police in Walewale took over the matter and arrested the suspect on Wednesday afternoon. The suspect was released next time without any prosecution.
The Walewale crime officer had confimed to StarrNews the arest of the suspect and said a report had been submitted to the headquarters in Tamale. He confirmed again that the police had confisticated the firearm of the suspect. He declined further comments and directed all enquiry to the regional police spokesman.
It is however unclear whether the regional commander ordered the release of the suspect. Multiple attempts for DSP Mohammmed Yussif Tanko, the spokesman, to provide details of the arrest have been unsuccessful. In the last attempt, DSP Tanko said he just found that he was seeking the information from a wrong police officer and asked again the nearest police district from where the incident occured.
The DCE said the chief of the community called him on telephone to inform about the shooting and since then, according Mr. Adams, tensions have been building among the families in the village.
He said the release of the suspect is exacerbating the tensions and declared the police should be blame “if something happens one day”.
The DCE said he would officially meet with the regional commander on Tuesday to discuss the matter. As chairman of the district security executives council, he said he may request the transfer of all the police officers. He hinted the matter would also be reported to the regional minister.
The MP, Ibrahim Rauf Tanko declined to comment when contacted by Starr News. Residents say this is not the first time the MP is linked to gun attack. They recalled an incident in 2016 during the campaign period, where the said the MP fired copious warning shots during a misunderstanding with some residents of Tantala, the hometown of Mr. Mustapha Ussif, the head of Ghana national service secretariat and former MP.
Except electricity that is even yet to reach the entire area, there is still rise in maternal mortality due, to lack of decent health centres and bad roads. People in the district capital are still without clean drinking water and drink from dugouts and puddles. Nearly the entire population are farmers without any livelihood options. It has the longest distance from the regional capital with deplorable major roads. The roads from Daboya Walewale, Fumbisi are all cut off in raining season.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/Eliasu Tanko
