22 REMANDED IN BAWKU ....(Page 23)

Story: Benjamin Glover, Bolgaatanga

THE Navrongo District Court has remanded 22 persons in prison custody in connection with the recent disturbances in the Bawku Municipality and other neighbouring communities.
They are Abdulai Sally, Sally Issifu, Fred Wuni, Iddrisu Yakubu, Azam Tanpuri, Halidu Yahaya, Abdulai Alhassan, Issah Aruk, Massadudu Danladi, Seidu Hamidu, Mohammed Awal, Balla Abdulai Sulemana, Iddrisu Sulifu and Duada Busanga.
The rest are Hakeem David, Balia Adama, Seidu Agambilla, Nashriu Bukari, Abugri Bennedict, Kassim Sani, Mohammed Awal Hibit and Ibrahim Gambilla.
They were charged with conspiracy, impediment in public way, causing unlawful damage, rioting with weapons and possessing ammunitions without authority.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Bolgatanga on Monday, the Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, said the suspects, whose pleas were not taken, would reappear before the court on January 17, this year.
A dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on Bawku, Zabugu and Garu township is currently in force following communal violence that erupted in the towns on December 31, last year.
According to DCOP Gyeabour, the violence left in its wake a lot of causalities. He said so far eight people had been confirmed dead including two from outside Bawku, while 16 others who sustained various degrees of injury were receiving treatment.
The Regional Police Commander said the turmoil had also resulted in the burning and destruction of 78 houses, including 23 partially burnt ones.
He said 29 stores and three corn mills at Garu and five vehicles were also burnt.
DCOP Gyeabour said the Regional Security Committee (REGSEC) had been meeting daily to closely monitor and counter any likely development that could disturb the peace in the area.
Touching on the current situation on the ground, the Regional Police Commander said commercial activities were progressively resuming in the Bawku Municipality, while the people were beginning to gain more confidence in the police and other security agencies working in the area.
He stressed the need for the chiefs in the area to advise their opinion leaders and the youth to use the due process in resolving their differences.