The Managing News Editor of the Newscenta newspaper, Elvis Darko, has lamented the delay by state security agencies in taking decisive action to restore peace in Bawku following recent violent clashes.
He believes the security services should have acted swiftly the moment the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was attacked during a visit to the conflict zone.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, July 28, Mr Darko expressed concern about the recent killings and called for urgent and sustained intervention to curb the situations.
“The day the IGP went there and his car was fired on clearly was a signal—that is a challenge to the power of the state, and I think the peace enforcement should have started at that point,” he said.
Mr Darko argued that the attack on the IGP’s convoy was not just an act of violence but a direct threat to national authority.
According to him, the state’s failure to respond immediately has allowed the conflict to fester and spread beyond Bawku.
“The way people can have the courage to shoot at the vehicle of the IGP is a very dangerous signal… and I’m wondering why we waited this while,” he added.
Citing the increasing death toll in the area, Mr Darko revealed that more than 300 lives have been lost between November 2021 and April this year.
He said the ongoing killings, curfews, and fear of movement have paralysed the local economy, deepened poverty, and created a hostile environment even for students and farmers.
Meanwhile, the government has since reviewed the curfew in the area, closed down schools after some students were killed on campuses, and is planning to evacuate remaining students.
