The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee and Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has criticised the state over what he describes as a preventable security lapse following the killing of eight Ghanaian traders in Burkina Faso.

Contributing to a statement on the floor of Parliament on February 19, 2026, Rev. Ntim Fordjour said the government failed to act proactively despite the well-known security threats in the sub-region.

The attack, which occurred on February 14 in a volatile area affected by extremist violence, left eight Ghanaians dead and several others injured.

“Mr Speaker, I want to first point out the security failure of the state because these killings are avoidable,” he stated.

“The geopolitics of the sub-region is a matter of public knowledge. The terrorism threats and crises within our neighbouring countries, especially Burkina Faso, are not in doubt or did not start from yesterday.”

He argued that authorities ought to have issued a travel advisory to caution Ghanaian traders and travellers heading to high-risk areas.

“For the failure of the state to even provide a travel advisory ahead of time to advise travellers to Burkina Faso, and for these traders to be led to the slaughter is most regrettable,” he said.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour urged government to strengthen intelligence coordination and cross-border security engagement to prevent future tragedies.

He maintained that timely communication and preventive measures are critical in safeguarding Ghanaian citizens operating within unstable zones in the sub-region.