Mamprusi youth living in the Binduri district of the Upper East region are unhappy about killings in the area recently which they say appear to be targeted murders.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the group, Mamprugu Youth of Binduri said they were concerned that the conflict in neighbouring Bawku was beginning to spill over into their area and called on government to act swiftly to prevent more killings from occurring.

They cited a number of killings this year to buttress their claims.

“In recent times there have been harrowing, dastardly acts of murder carried out in the communities of Gumyoko, Binduri and Nayoko all within the Binduri District”, the press release stated.

It added; “The Gumyoko incident occurred at about 1:30pm on Wednesday, 5th of April 2023. They came and shot dead Tahiru Gumah, a 57 years old man who was taking a rest inside an out-house next to the main family house of the former Chief of Gumyoko’s palace”.

“The second and third murders occurred in the centre of Binduri where a group of young men had gathered to watch football on TV. At about 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 22, 2023, six gun-wielding young people approached riding three motorcycles and without any provocation opened gunfire on the Binduri youth, instantly killing Innocent Fusheini Hamidu and critically injuring Aminu Issifu who was rushed to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital. Sadly, he passed away on Wednesday, June 28, 2023”, the Mamprugu Youth of Binduri added in the press release.

They also said; “The fourth murder case occurred in the Nayoko No.1 Community where the Assemblyman of the Nayoko Electoral Area, Dramani Hamidu was shot at close range while sitting in a shop by his house at about 7:00 pm on Friday, June 23, 2023. A motorcycle carrying 2 gun-wielding men arrived close to the shop and executed that dastardly act”.

“All three communities are Mamprusi Communities and all the four murdered individuals are Mamprusi”.

The press release which was signed by five Mamprugu Youth of Binduri namely; Wuni Bugri, Tia Nambe, Papaluci Winbe, Dramani Idrissu and Ralph Bawah, called on the security agencies to take the killings seriously, investigate them and bring the perpetrators to book.  

“Precisely because the actors behind these murders are faceless, one would have expected the State Security Agencies to be up and doing and track down the perpetrators. Of equal importance, security measures needed to have been beefed up by now to minimize the recurrence of these needless acts of terrorism. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case”, they said.                              

The Mamprugu Youth of Binduri also cited some audio recordings circulating on social media, which they believed were recorded prior to some of the killings, were indications that the murders were premeditated and were linked to the ongoing conflict in Bawku.

They indicated their willingness to work with the security agencies to help arrest the culprits.

“We appeal to the Minister of Interior to urgently impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the District; whilst the Regional Security Council [REGSEC] and District Security Council [DISEC] also need to impose a 24 hour a day ban on the riding of motor-cycles within the District with immediate effect”, they suggested in the press release.

“We are also appealing to the Regional Police Commander to consider providing police patrols within the Gumyoko, Binduri and Nayoko enclaves”, the Mamprugu Youth of Binduri said.