Four killed in fresh Bawku shootings as tensions escalate

Four people, including two women, have been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in separate attacks in Bawku and its surrounding communities within the past 24 hours, deepening fears in the troubled municipality.

The latest incident occurred around 6 a.m. on Saturday, October 25, along the Atuba road near Binduri, where gunmen ambushed and killed a man identified only as Azimbe.

Media reports claim he was the son of the late Kusasi chief, who was murdered in Asawasi, Kumasi, in July this year.

The killings began on Friday morning when a woman was shot dead after stepping out to meet a colleague. That evening, around 7 p.m., two armed men on a motorbike gunned down a man identified as Salam at a drinking spot in Garu.

Hours later, at about 11 p.m., another woman was shot and killed in Binduri.

According to media sources, military personnel have since arrested ten suspects in connection with the Binduri murder as part of intensified security operations in the area.

The latest attacks have renewed fears among residents and further strained peace efforts in Bawku, a municipality long marred by ethnic tensions and recurring violence.

The situation has forced authorities to maintain a curfew and a strict ban on arms, disrupting normal life and economic activity in the Upper East town.

Residents continue to live in fear over security uncertainties despite security presence in the area.

The Bawku conflict, rooted in decades-old chieftaincy disputes, has claimed dozens of lives in recent years despite multiple government interventions and peace dialogues.

With the latest wave of killings, government is set to face renewed pressure to intensify efforts toward a lasting resolution to the unrest.