IGP Escapes Sniper’s Bullets @ Bawku

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, narrowly escaped harm when an unidentified gunman shot at his official vehicle, following a visit to the Bawku Naba’s Palace on Friday, April 11, 2025.

It is not clear the motive behind the brazen attack, which highlights the security challenges faced by not only the ordinary citizens, but also top officials in society.

A dependable source in the conflict ravaged town, who witnessed the near disaster, alleged that the incident occurred barely 30 seconds after the Chief Constable entered his Land Cruiser Command Vehicle, with registration number GP1.

The IGP had gone to the Bawku Naba to apologise to the chiefs and people of the ancient town on behalf of the Ghana Police Service to ask for forgiveness.

The source explained that the Overlord of Bawku was personally not enthused about the shooting incident, after the Police Chief exited the palace. His agile guards reportedly managed to identify the one who opened fire on the IGP’s vehicle.

The said assailant, our source continued, was severely lashed with horsetail whips, almost to the point of unconsciousness, and released to go.

The Chronicle further heard that the Bawku Naba later dispatched a delegation of twelve chiefs to meet with IGP Yohuno at the local police barracks, where an apology was rendered to him over the incident.

The IGP, who was appointed less than a month ago was, however, not perturbed by the incident, as he advanced to the Vineyard Hospital to commiserate with persons who sustained injuries during the recent disturbances in the Bawku Township and settled their medical bills as well.

Mr Yohuno later met with the media and called for the country’s youth, particularly those in conflict prone areas to lay down their arms in order to take part in recruitment processes into the service.

The IGP went on to assure the people of Bawku that they would have the opportunity to join the service, provided the laid down requirements are met.

To ensure this, the police boss noted that, the difficulty in achieving regional balance in the recruitment process is its centralisation at the National Headquarters in Accra, Kumasi and the big cities alone.

He expressed the desire to ensure that people from all parts of the country, including remote regions, are also given the opportunity to apply and successful ones offered admission to the training schools.

The decade old conflict between the two ethnic groups recently got to a fever pitch, following disagreement over the use of a particular market place put up by the Kusaug people. A number of persons, including an opinion leader, lost their lives during a clash with the police.

The irate mob vented their anger on the immediate authorities, setting ablaze the police barracks, vehicles, private residence of the Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Adamu Seidu.

The rabble topped up their actions by burning the homes of Honourable Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central who doubles as the Majority Leader and Honourable LaadiAyiiAyamba, the law maker for Pusiga Constituency.

In a related development, the Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil stated emphatically that Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who was appointed to mediate in the Bawku crisis, would not succeed in that enterprise.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile program on Saturday, the IMANI Africa vice president did not mince words in saying that the Bawku situation has gone beyond policing and mediation, and for that matter a military intervention was required. To him, the military is trained to take territory, hold it and impose peace.

The danger, he said, is that there are elements in Agbogbloshie, Burkina Faso and Northern Nigeria waiting to cash in on the disturbances in Bawku, which we must not allow to happen.

Security Analyst, Col Festus Aboagye (rtd), also commenting on the volatile situation believes that occurrences between February 2023 when the Nayiri enskinned a Bawku Naba at his Nalerigu base, National Security and the respective Court actions, coupled with government support in October 2024 to one of the factions, has dealt a big blow to efforts at bringing peace to Bawku.

On the attack on Mr Yohuno’s Command Vehicle, the security guru, who had had oversight responsibilities on conflicts across the world questioned the use of a non-armoured plated car by the IGP in such a difficult terrain.

He suggests the deployment of the five armoured cars, which have been retrieved from the former military chiefs to these areas, instead of being driven in the cities for fun.

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