Residents in the eastern part of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region have expressed concern about armed robbers regularly causing deaths and injuries to locals.
Recounting the series of incidents in the area to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East Show, Solomon Zinekena, a resident social commentator in the area, said killings in the area are becoming too many and residents are gripped with fear as they are unsure of the next person to be killed.
He said “Just on Thursday, August 31, 2023, being the latest, one Boroug alias Calendar was shot dead,” adding that several other people have been maimed, had their legs broken by gunshots, and robbed of their valuable properties.
Mr. Zinekena said police officers in the area are also not safe, as it appears the number of armed robbers outnumbered that of the police officers deployed to patrol the area, and some officers have also been killed.
According to him, “just last month a police officer was shot dead, and just as we are talking, a group of police officers had a gun battle with armed robbers when the police met them on the way; several shots went untargeted, and one of the police officers who was on a motorbike lost grip of his AK47 rifle and it was taken away by the armed robbers”.
“Can you even imagine that between Yameriga and Sheaga, just across that small bridge, people were armbashed there for hours? They robbed their money, and one Anaju, who was returning from town with his car, robbed his money, and they packed all those they robbed into his car to take them back to Bolga town so that they could escape. He added
Narrating similar incidents in the past, “he said it will be recalled that in July 2022, one CK from Gbane was shot dead, and that very day, one Beehinab Yendouma was shot in the leg, and he has been maimed, notwithstanding a very recent case where one person from Namolug was also shot dead.”
The resident said most of their livelihood depends largely on the mining in the area, but that is where most of them are robbed, maimed, and killed on their way back home.
Mr. Zinekena said essential workers in the area are making attempts to take transfers, and potential workers posted to the communities have refused postings.
He said the community, including chiefs, is appealing to duty bearers to come to their aid as they are willing to engage the District Security Council,the District Commander, and other opinion leaders instead of embarking on demonstrations.
A1 Radio has learned that the Talensi District Security Council will be meeting today, September 4, 2023, over the happenings in the area and will be updating the public as soon as possible.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Ghana
