Tension is brewing in Gwolu, the Sissala West District capital of the Upper West Region as the youth in the area vow to attack the police for shooting a resident. Police reinforcement from Tumu and Wa are keeping angry youth at bay. Sources at Gwolu told Myjoyonline a misunderstanding over a mobile phone that led to the shooting of the resident should be blamed on the police. According an eye witness, Ali Tahiru, it all started when a mobile phone belonging to one Assimiru Alimatu, an alleged girlfriend of a policeman in Gwolu got missing. An old man, Yaya Gira Nasaare who chanced upon the phone did not know how to operate it and so handed it over to his younger brother, Zuberu Nasaare and instructed him to direct any person that might call to claim ownership of the phone to where he is so the person could go and identify and collect the phone. According to Ali, when Alimatu called, Zuberu answered and directed her to his house but she arrived in the company of a policeman named only as Paul (who sources alleged is the boyfriend). After confirming that the phone belonged to them, Alimatu and Paul insisted on taking it away but Zuberu maintained they should wait for his brother who found the phone. His insistence infuriated the policeman who allegedly punched him, but he held onto the phone. Paul, according to the source, left and came back with his colleagues heavily armed to arrest Zuberu but his family members resisted the arrest. The police then attacked people indiscriminately. They arrested anybody who challenged them and bundled him into a vehicle. Gbemmie Moro, a resident who opposed the arbitrariness of the police action was shot. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the police abandoned the victim and left. The Gwolu District Police Commander however is reported to have ordered them to go back and pick the victim which they did and sent him to the Tumu hospital where they were directed to take the victim to the Wa Hospital. Angered by the conduct of the police, the youth in the area mobilized and planned to attack the police. Reinforcement from Tumu and Wa coupled with the intervention of the Sissala West District Chief Executive are reported to be holding a fragile calm in the area. Reader's Account Below is an account by a reader, SIBIRI EDMOND, posted to our earlier story on the shooting incident. INJUSTICE AT GWOLU, the Policeman, MR SEIDU MUST LEAVE GWOLU What started as a trivial argument between a pupil girlfriend of one Mr. Paul, a policeman stationed at the Sissala West District capital (GWOLLU) has led to gunshots in which Mr. Gbemmie Moro who brought his uncle's funeral home last week, is badly wounded. It all started when Mr. Yaya Gira Nasaare (a night watchman) found a mobile phone Sunday, 09/08/09. Unable to answer any call due to his lack of exposure to phones, Yaya gave it to one of his younger brothers by name Zuberu Nasaare. Zuberu was instructed to receive any call and tell the owner the whereabouts of the phone. According to Zuberu, Assimiru Alimatu (the said girlfriend) called and said the phone was her's. Zuberu directed her to his house, but insisted that his elder brother who found the phone must come before he could give it to her. This did not go down well with the girl. She went to bring police to arrest Zuberu. Eye witnesses said the police that came for arrest were beating Zuberu when some of his family members and friends intervened. They set him free peacefully but promised to bring him to the station the following morning. Before daybreak however, at about 4:00am armed policemen led by Seidu, had surrounded the whole section where Zuberu comes from, Kuunabala). Any guy they came accross was butally beaten and thrown into the police vehicle. In the process, Gbemmie Moro was shot. Six others were brutalized and taken away, maybe to Wa or Tumu. Moro could not be treated at Tumu hospital. He is referred to Wa hospital. This development angered the youth of Gwollu who were mobilising themselves for action but the DCE came to cool them down. What surprises me is the way human rights are often abused by the police in rural areas. This is not the first incident at Gwollu. Several others have happened and the offending police have gone unpunished. I call on the prez to step into this case. 8/11/2009 2:48:10 PM