Residents of Wuru, a border community in the Sissala East District of the Upper West Region, are demanding the immediate release of youth leader and former assemblyman aspirant, Sadat Ibrahim, who was allegedly abducted in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

They are also calling for justice for another resident, a livestock trader, who was shot dead near the border earlier last month.

In interviews with JoyNews' Eliasu Tanko, residents said insecurity along the Ghana–Burkina Faso border has worsened since December last year, after Burkinabè soldiers were arrested and detained by Ghana Immigration and military personnel in Tumu.

According to residents, Sadat Ibrahim went missing on March 4, 2026, after travelling to Kounou, a Burkinabè border town near Wuru, to seek medical care for a relative.

"He took me to the hospital and stepped out briefly while I was in the queue waiting to be attended to, but after several hours he did not return. Up to now, I do not know his whereabouts," the relative told JoyNews.

Residents claim Sadat was later accused of playing a key role in Ghana's "See Something, Say Something" campaign by allegedly providing information to Ghanaian security agencies that led to the arrest of 17 armed Burkinabè soldiers said to have been illegally occupying Ghanaian territory.

"The next morning, I returned to the hospital and saw one of the Burkinabè security officers sitting on my brother's motorbike while chatting with a doctor," another brother said.

Residents believe the accusation may have contributed to his alleged abduction and are appealing for his immediate release.

"After they [the Burkinabè soldiers] were arrested, they accused my brother and threatened to deal with him anytime he came to their territory. So, we are pleading with whoever is holding him to release him," a resident said.

The residents are also demanding justice for another community member, popularly known as Akorugu, who was found dead on February 15, 2026, along the road between the Ghanaian community of Kulmasa and Pien, a border village in Burkina Faso.

According to residents, the livestock trader's body was found riddled with bullet wounds.

They claim Burkinabè security personnel, who later conveyed the body, accused Akorugu of supplying fuel, food, medical supplies, and other logistics to militants of the rebel group JNIM (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin), believed to be operating from the Nazinga Forest in Burkina Faso.

However, residents strongly reject the claim, insisting the deceased was a well-known livestock trader who regularly travelled across the border for business.

The Assemblyman for the Kunchokor–Wuru Electoral Area also expressed surprise at the allegations.

"We know him as someone who sold animals in markets across the border," a resident said. "He was not involved in any militant activities."

Residents say the incidents have heightened fear among people in Wuru and nearby communities who frequently cross the border for trade and other essential activities.

They are therefore urging the Ghanaian government and security agencies to engage Burkinabè authorities to ensure justice for the deceased and to intensify diplomatic efforts to secure Sadat Ibrahim's release.

Authorities at the Sissala East District Assembly say diplomatic efforts are underway to secure the youth leader's release, although his whereabouts remain unknown.

JoyNews contacted Burkinabè authorities in both the Bieha Department and the Sissili Province for comment but received no response.