Being in charge of Bawku Security must be one of the toughest jobs in Ghana. You have to be talented, smart, calm and patient, and have eyes at the back of your head.
Bawku Security is like the Ghana weather in May/June. It changes unexpectedly. Bawku could be calm, quiet, peaceful and show sunny signs of HOPE. Suddenly, the security situation changes, as chaos rains from the sky and bullets begin to fly indiscriminately.
Bawku is getting to the DENOUEMENT of the conflict cinema in which uncontrollable gunmen itch to assassinate Politicians and other prominent persons on a revised BLACK LIST!
Bryan Acheampong, MP for the Abetifi Constituency and a former Minister of State for National Security is a marked man on a Black list in Bawku. If he steps in Bawku today, he is likely to be shot dead by some irascible gunmen.
Bryan Acheampong was rightly or wrongly linked to a young man, Fatawu Numbe, who was described by some gunmen as a National Security Operative and an armed combatant for one of the Bawku factions. Fatawu was recently gunned down reportedly near the Old Wande Chief’s palace.
There are unconfirmed reports that even though Fatawu Nambe was hurriedly buried, his body was exhumed and transported to Accra to prevent one of the factions from exhuming his corpse and presenting it to the Media as evidence of a National Security Operative-turned-Bawku gunman.
According to sources, an Adua was reportedly organised for the late Fatawu Numbe in Accra and Bryan Acheamong was reported to have attended.
Reports of what Bryan Acheampong said or did not say and donations he made or did not make were weaponized to generate heat in Bawku from 12th February, 2023.
I culled the following extract of a piece of weaponized information on Social Media which generated a blood-thirsty frenzy in parts of Bawku:
3. Bryan Acheampong gave an amount 20000 to the Islamic cleric for prayer.
4. Bryan Acheampong in his speech said “he wept the night he had the news of his death (Fatawu Nambe). He said Fatawu Nambe was like his favorite son.
5. Bryan Acheampong in his closing remarks assured the family that he will ensured (sic) the revenge for the deceased will be as soon as possible.
6. He now assured them of coming to Bawku to also sympathize with the family.
Apparently the heat was so much that it caught the attention of Bryan Acheampong. Suddenly, the following message began to circulate in Bawku as a damage control measure:
Dear All, Bryn Acheampong is a friend and so when I read this, I had no option but to call him to find out his interest in our matters. This is what he told me:
1) the Fatawu guy was his small boy who served him for years
2) he attended the adua when he was informed of it.
3) he didn’t say anything in the funeral and only spent a brief moment
4) he donated 3,000 cedis and not 20,000.
5) He says he had no any other interest, except the boy having served him in the past. I am just reporting what he told me as a personal friend. I thought this platform deserved to know this as well. Regards.
Even though the source of the circulated message seemed unknown, fingers were quickly pointed to the writer as one Dr. John Kingsley Kurugu, a former NPP Parliamentary Aspirant for Zebilla and who was reported to be a Coordinator for Landscape Restoration at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Bryan Acheampong is welcome to Bawku where the gunmen are running the show! This is Bawku. It is kill or be killed! This is Bawku where big fires always start small.
It is common talk in Bawku that the conflict is a historic, ancestral Kusasi/Mamprusi conflict. And that their forebears found ways to resolve their differences so that Kusasis and Mamprusis and other tribes could live together like the teeth and the tongue in one mouth.
Again, it is common talk in Bawku that during the latest conflict (started from November/December 2021) Politicians and other prominent citizens weaponized DISINFORMATION, MISINFORMATION, LIES, PROPAGANDA on Social Media and FM stations. They reportedly funded, supplied, and continued to smuggle arms, ammunitions and hard drugs to some illiterate, semi-lliterate young persons to kill, main, rob and pillage property of their fellow citizens of Bawku and its environs.
The gun men (called “warriors”) who could hardly afford a meal day are reportedly fed sumptuous cooked meals when they return from their dens and killing spree.
According to sources, the gunmen kill and maim other persons with sophisticated weapons such as AK 47, G3, M16, Taurus T. 4 rifles, Bereta pistols reportedly supplied to them by Politicians and other prominent persons.
In part 1 of this Report, I quoted from a macabre diary the names of some persons who had been killed by gunmen from 22nd January 2022 to 1st September, 2022. I stated that the gunmen are in need of bigger scalps to take and that they are itching to assassinate Politicians and other prominent citizens residing in and/or hail from Bawku.
According to sources, the the Politicians and other prominent persons who fund and supply hard drugs and weapons to the “warriors” are well known by the gunmen.
It needs to be stated emphatically that the Politicians and other prominent persons who fund the Bawku gunmen are going to be caught red-handed, not by the Security Agents, but ironically by the same gunmen who are now uncontrollable!!
Bawku gunmen itch to spill the blood of Politicians and other prominent persons in the same way they spilled the blood of following persons:
(1). On 5th September, 2022, Fauwaz Tanimu (a Kusasi), and Awini Fati (a Bisa) were gunned down at Sabon Zongo and Azanga, respectively.
(2). On 16th September, 2022, Ibrahim Moro (a Mamprusi) was killed at Sagabo.
(3). On 18th September, 2022, Mahama Nosinaaba (a Busanga) was shot dead on the Pusiga-Pulmakom road.
(4). On 23rd September, 2022, Nazeru Zakari (a Mamprusi) was killed at Buabula.
(5). On 26th September, 2022, Fatiu Faisal (a Dagomba) was killed at Sagabo.
(6). On 21st December, 2022, Mariama Dauda (a Kusasi) was killed at Sabongari.
(7). On 24th December, 2022, at Simnaba, the following Bisas were gunned down: Salamatu Issaka, Imoro Busanga, Alhassan Issaka, Fati Alhassan, Ridwan Alhassan, Hawarden Issaka, Mamuna Alhassan, Haruna Kutumi.
(8). On 9th January, 2023, Bashiru Tahiru (a Moshi) was killed at Kariama.
(9). On 15th January, 2023, Awudu Bugri Marani ( a Bisa) was killed at Gigande.
(10). On 6th February, 2023, Osman Awudu (a Mamprusi) was shot dead at Sabongari.
(11). On 7th February, 2023, the following were killed: Sally Bukari Tagnaba (Kusasi), Imoro Mohammed Azuri (Kusasi), Abdul Razak Ayaldago (Kusasi), Mba Musa (unidentified).
(12). On 8th February, 2023 at the Highways area, the following were gunned down: Kwaku Kai (Ashanti), Kwasi Acheampong (Ashanti), Kofi Kai (Ashanti), Mamudu Malik (unidentified), Haruna Issah (unidentified), Abdul Salaam (unidentified), Moses Adininah (unidentified).
I shall return.
Owula Mangortey
Bawku
14th February, 2023