Curfew imposed on Bawku over insecurity concerns
It is unclear how many days, weeks, months or even years the curfew in Bawku may last.
A curfew has been imposed on residents in the Bawku Municipality and areas surrounding it, the Interior Ministry has said.
The curfew began yesterday, November 24, from 4:00pm to 6:00am.
“The imposition of the curfew has been as a result of threat of insecurity in the communities concerned,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
In addition, the Ministry said persons found to be carrying arms, ammunition, or weapons would be arrested and prosecuted.
The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council has also banned the wearing of smocks, citing the same concerns of insecurity.
“Following the decision taken by REGSEC during the emergency meeting, the wearing of smock in Bawku Township has been banned with immediate effect. This was necessitated by the fact that criminals or unscrupulous elements hide arms and ammunition in smocks and attack opponents or innocent civilians,” it said in a statement.
A Member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, and MP for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu, wants the government to find a solution to the underlying causes of recurring disturbances in Bawku.
It is unclear how many days, weeks, months or even years the curfew in Bawku may last.
The impositions of curfews generally bring with them alteration of the socio-economic lives of some of the people in those communities, especially those who operate the night economy such as those who sell food and operate shops in the evening.
