When will the Chief Justice and the Attorney General set up a Special Court or Fast Track High Court to handle and dispose off all Bawku conflict-related criminal cases?
Fellow citizens, let me be brunt with you. The failure of the Chief Justice and the Attorney General to live up to their responsibilities in Justice delivery in Bawku underpines the lawlessness, disorder and indiscipline in Bawku Central and its environs!
Cover up is worse than the crime itself!
It is my carefully considered view that non-kinectic interventions by the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General can support the effort of the Military, the Police and the NIB to restore and maintain law, order, justice and discipline in Bawku and its environs.
Is it not the responsibility of the Chief Justice and the Attorney General to support all Appointees to deliver the agenda of President Akufo-Addo in Bawku the extra mile and all the miles in between?
So, I respectfully invite fellow Ghanaians to join me to scream loudly at the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General to stop the backslide of the Justice delivery system in Bawku.
Why?
The Circuit Court has been locked up and no judicial proceedings take place in Bawku.
Consequently, the Police arraign criminal suspects before inferior courts at Garu, Bolgatanga and other backwater Districts. Some of the accused persons are granted bail and they return to their communities amidst drumming and dancing and show of bravado, only (allegedly) to commit more crimes.
Fellow Ghanaians, is it not the responsibility of the Chief Justice to administer the courts, allocate cases and distribute judicial workload? Is it not the responsibility of the Chief Justice to ensure that his Judges administer Justice without fear or favour?
Does the Attorney General not represent the State in legal proceedings? And is the Attorney General not the representative of the public in all legal proceedings for the enforcement of law and the assertion or protection of public rights?
So, why have the Chief Justice and the Attorney General woefully failed to expeditiously perform their roles since the recent conflict broke out in Bawku in November/December, 2021?
Fellow Ghanaians, join me to scream at the Chief Justice and the Attorney General in order to get answers to why the following Bawku conflict-related crimial cases are still pending, and when they will timeously be disposed of:
(1). The Rep. vrs Imoro Ibrahim, Haruna Abdul Rauf.
Nature of offence: Possession of firearm and ammunition without lawful authority.
Exhibits involved:
One (1) AK 47 assault rifle with magazines, seventeen (17) rounds AK 47 live ammunitions.
Date of offence: 25/11/21.
Place of arrest: Kolore.
Status of Case: Case pending and Accused are on Court bail.
(2). The Rep. vrs Yakubu Abdul Hakim.
Nature of Offence: Possession of ammunition without lawful authority.
Date of offence: 25/11/21.
Place of arrest: Patilime.
Exhibits involved: Twelve (12) rounds of AK 47 live ammunitions.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused is on Court bail.
(3). The Rep. vrs Awal Musah, Salifu Yahaya.
Nature of offence: Possession of ammunition without lawful authority.
Date of offence: 21/11/21.
Place of arrest: Siliminaba.
Exhibits involved: One (1) AK 47 live ammunition.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused is on Court bail.
(4). The Rep vrs Naa Atampuri and twelve (12) others.
Nature of the offence: Unlawful assembly, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.
Date of offence: 28/12/2.
Place of arrest: Natinga.
Exhibits involved: Nil.
Status of case: Case transferred to Accra and Accused are on Court bail.
(5). The Rep. vrs Ibrahim Fatawau.
Nature of offence: Murder.
Date of offence: 13/1/22.
Place arrest: Natinga.
Exhibits involved: Nil.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused is in Police custody.
(6). The Rep. vrs Mohammed Abukari and six (6) others at large.
Nature of offence: Attempt to commit crime, Murder.
Date of offence: 25/1/22.
Place of arrest: Natinga.
Exhibits involved: Nil.
Status of case: Accused on Court bail and six (6) others at large.
(7). The Rep.vrs Maxwell Asaama Awuni.
Nature of Offence: Possession of ammunition without lawful authority.
Date of offence: 1/2/22.
Place of arrest: Gingande.
Exhibits involved: Two(2) foreign pistols, fifty (50) rounds of AK 47 live ammunitions, seventeen (17) rounds of M.16 live ammunitions, three (3) rounds of G3 live ammunitions, ten (10) rounds of 9mm pistol live ammunitions.
Status of case: Pending in Court and Accused is on Court bail.
(8). The Rep. vrs Ibrahim Fatawu.
Nature of offence: Possession of firearm and ammunition without lawful authority.
Date of offence: 1/2/22.
Place of arrest: Natinga
Exhibits involved: One (1) AK47 assault rifle, one (1) Arcus foreign pistol, eight (8) rounds AK 47 live ammunition, eighty (80) live G3 ammunitions.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused granted Court bail.
(9). The Rep.vrs Osman Adam Ayagiba.
Nature of offence: Murder.
Date of offence: 27/2/22.
Place of arrest: Gingande.
Exhibits involved: Nil.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused is on Court bail.
(10). The Rep. vrs Rabi Azzelim
Nature of Offence: Possession of Narcotic Drug.
Date of offence: 28/2/22.
Place of arrest: Natinga.
Exhibits involved: Two (2) wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Status of case: Pending and Accused is on Court bail.
(11). The Rep. vrs Adam Ibrahim, Tijani Sulley, Tijani Abendeba, Imoro Adam, Saali Abusanga, Kassim Mohammed.
Nature of offence: Conspiracy to commit murder to wit: Murder, and Murder.
Date of offence: 14/3/22.
Place of arrest: Goziese.
Exhibits involved: Eleven (11) AK 47 spent shells.
Status of case: Pending in Court and Accused on Court bail.
(12). The Rep. vrs Issah Yakubu Matetim, Adams Abubakar, Eliasu Fofana, Nuhu Zato, Adams Alhassan, Shaibu Seidu, Awuni Issah, Abdulai Hamidu, Ibrahim Amadu, Issaka Mumuni.
Nature of offence: Possession of Narcotic
Date of arrest: 14/3/22.
Place of arrest: Possum.
Exhibits involved: Twenty-two (22) toffees laced with suspected Narcotic drugs.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused are on Court bail.
(13). The Rep. vrs Adamu Mumuni & eight (8) others.
Nature of offence: Discharging guns in town, possession of ammunition without lawful authority.
Date of offence: 10/5/22.
Place of arrest: Patilime.
Exhibits involved: One (1) locally manufactured pistol.
Status of Case: Pending and Accused remanded into Police custody.
(14). The Rep.vrs Osman Issah.
Nature of offence: Murder.
Date of offence: 10/5/22.
Place of arrest: Sing-Naaba.
Status of Case: Registered to be called since 14/5/22, and Suspect is in custody.
(15). The Rep. vrs Sadick Abubakar Sulemana, Nabsong Nasiru Yakubu
Nature of offence: Possession of firearm and ammunition without authority, and Murder.
Date of arrest: 21/6/22
Place of arrest: Sing-Natinga
Exhibits involved: One (1) AK 47 assault rifle, 320 live rounds of 7.69/39 mm calibre ammunition, fifty (50) live rounds of AK 47 ammunitions, three (3) AK 47 empty magazine, one locally manufactured pistol, one (1) BB live cartridge.
Status of Case: Pending in Court and Accused persons remanded into prison custody.
Fellow Citizens, you do realise from the Pending Cases that the Chief Justice and the Attorney General have not been up to speed to supporting the Security Agencies to restore and maintain law, order, justice and discipline in restive Bawku.
The Chief Justice and the Attorney General are aware that the Government spends approximately ten (10) million cedis every month on the Security Agencies in Bawku and its environs. Can they imagine what ten (10) millions cedis every month can be used for the development of Bawku?
Of what used is it that the Military, Police and other Security Agencies engage in kinetic actions, arrest suspected criminals, cause them to be arraigned before Court only to face a decadent, sloppy and slovenly system of Justice delivery?!!
As a Citizen, I wish to ask the Chief Justice and the Attorney General when a Bawku Special Court or a Fast track High Court will be set up to expeditiously handle and dispose of all Bawku conflict-related criminal cases?
Quo Vadis?
Owula Mangortey
Bawku
11th February, 2023