9 died, 17 injured following gun attack on passengers at Bawku
Six women, three men died, while 17 others suffered injuries, following gun attack on passengers at Bawku, in Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region, last Thursday.
The women, have been identified as Salamatu Mohammed, 49, Amina Ibrahim, 55, Rahana Rauf, 33, Lababa Mumuni, 35, Saratu Abdullai, 42, and Limata Aziz, 40.
The men are Zeidu Ali, 43, Musah Awudu, 42, and Karim Inusah, 32.
The incident, reportedly occurred when at 8:30pm about 30 gunmen accosted two commercial vehicles en route the Bawku-Cinkassey road and opened fire at passengers on board.
An eyewitness told journalists that the victims, supposed to be businessmen and businesswomen on board the vehicles, were travelling under police escort to Cinkassey in neighbouring Togo, to transact business.
“We received information that some people had planned to block the road leading to Cinkassey to unleash attack on traders,” another eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, told media men, in an interview.
He appealed to Ministry for the Interior to act swiftly to restore peace and order in Bawku.
The Bawku Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Adamu Seidu, could not be immediately reached to confirm the incident.
However, a police source told journalists that three uniform policemen, who were escorting the commercial vehicles out of the town, said they were overpowered by the gunmen, who took them by surprise and carried out the attack.
According to the source, “I was surprised at the number of attackers. It was as if the whole community came out to attack the travelers.”
The deceased have been buried in accordance with Islamic customs, while the injured were currently receiving medical care at the Presbyterian Hospital, in Bawku.
