There are reports that a hit man nearly killed an NPP Parliamentary Aspirant for Zebilla at his Bolgatanga residence on 29th August, 2023.
Our checks indicate that the NPP Parliamentary Aspirant is Dr John Kingsley Kurugu. He is a Kusasi from Apodago in the Bawku West District.
Currently, he serves at the Ministry of Lands and Forestry as the Coordinator of Landscape Restoration and Small Scale Minning.
Dr. Kingsley Kurugu’s near-death experience is feeding into current narratives that mercenary hitmen have been recruited to eliminate prominent politicians from the Bawku general area (Bawku Central, Zebilla, Binduri, Garu. Tempane, Pusiga Constituencies, etc.).
Below is an account of the shooting incident by Dr. John Kingsley Kurugu:
Buudi, I have just experienced the most harrowing, near-death experiencexe of my life ever. But for God’s intervention, I would have been a dead body by now. I typed this from Bolga central police station where I gave a formal statement to the police a short while ago. I came to Bolga only yesterday and decided to sleep in my house. Around 2:30am, I was awakened to some movement by the window. I saw a hand protrude through the metal burglar-proof, holding a pistol. I was positioned in such a way that only my legs could be shot. So the assailant was trying to get the right angle to fire at my vitals. Unfortunately, my own gun was not loaded. Slowly, I tried to fix it whilst tilting against the wall. The assailant suddenly fired the gun into the room, missing me completely. Another one fired through the other window. At this point, I was also fully loaded and fired back through the window. I then called a friend to get the police, who came, took picturesof the empty shells and brought me to the police station. By the time the police arrived, they had left the house. I type these words not to cause alarm but to ensure no one repeats my mistakes.
1. Always have your weapon ready, ready. Mine was not very ready!
2. I came from Accra only yesterday. Normally, my movements are not predictable but this is an official trip. So clearly, some people are aware that I was in Bolga. I should have been more conscious of that.
3. My security man didn’t come to work and the police are yet to unravel that aspect.
I can’t tell whether in my case, it was politically or tribally motivated or even both. But a word to the wise. . .
Certainly, this was not for robbery purposes as there was no attempt to break through but rather aiming to kill. But we shall not die!
Owula Mangortey
Bawku
29/08/23