A man was killed when gunmen launched an attack in the Upper East Region town of Bawku, local media reported.

The deceased has been named as Mohammed, an 81-year-old of Fulani extraction, according to the police in the area.

Some residents who were caught up in the crossfire said the latest violence erupted around midday and ended around 3:00pm after which it erupted again.

“The deceased is a horse trader and was on his way to provide water to his horse when he was shot dead. In February, a similar incident occurred and another man was killed near a security zone. It appears the security deployment is not doing enough”, a resident told reporters.

“So around 1, soldiers were in town shooting again. Let me say for the people, they are used to it. Today is a market day so everybody has gone back home,” an eyewitness said. “Now we are all indoors. There are fears this could escalate in the night”.

Arrest

A murder investigation has commenced into this fresh gun attack. The police said at least 18 people have been arrested and would be put before court on Tuesday (15 March 2022).

A Divisional Police Commander, Superintendent Simon Akabati said: “At the moment 18 people have been arrested and they will be put before court tomorrow [Tuesday]. We have beefed up security and we have increased patrols in the township”.

“The curfew is in full force and it is from 8 pm to 5 am… Once you are caught breaching the laws the security will take you on. We will be doing our job as professionals without fear or favour”, he added.

A long-standing tribal conflict in Bawku has been fueling violence in the area.

No group has claimed responsibility for this latest incident but sources familiar with the development indicate that there is a heavy security presence in the troubled town which shares a border with neighbouring Burkina Faso