A routine police mission aimed at defusing communal tensions tragically escalated on Friday, December 5, leading to the brutal assault of five police personnel and the seizure of three service weapons by an angry mob in the Saawie Community.
The Upper West Regional Police Command has since mobilised massive reinforcement, arrested nine suspects, and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to local leaders to recover two high-powered rifles still missing.
According to a police sitrep, the incident began at 1540 hours when the Jirapa Municipal Police proceeded to the Saawie Community to investigate a complaint regarding threats to burn the houses of Fulani herdsmen—a long-standing source of conflict in the area.
The Municipal Commander, ASP George Doe, led a team of four other ranks with the intention of inviting local and opinion leaders for a crucial dialogue aimed at preventing inter-communal violence.
However, upon arrival, the unarmed outreach quickly turned into a violent confrontation. The police team was met and “violently confronted and attacked by approximately thirty (30) members of the community,” resulting in serious injuries to the officers.
The assailants compounded the attack by forcibly disarming the police and making off with three (3) AK-47 rifles and one (1) pistol.
In immediate response to the assault and loss of service weapons, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP/Mr. Francis Yiribaare immediately ordered a large-scale mobilisation.
Personnel were drawn from multiple district commands, including Jirapa, Lawra, Wa, Nadowli, and Nandom, to execute a rescue and containment operation in the Saawie Community.
The reinforcement team successfully rescued the injured officers.
The officers were evacuated to the St. Joseph Hospital in Jirapa, with some reaching the facility through assistance from other sources.
The Commander later visited the officers, reporting that all five were “responding positively to treatment” at the time of the visit.
A detailed search operation was launched immediately after the rescue mission, focusing on recovering the stolen arsenal.
- Weapons Recovered: The search led to the recovery of one (1) AK-47 rifle (without a magazine) and one (1) pistol.
- Weapons Missing: Two (2) AK-47 rifles and one (1) magazine belonging to the service remain unaccounted for, posing a significant security concern if they fall into the wrong hands.
Further sweep operations within the community resulted in the swift arrest of nine suspects, who were found hiding under beds or actively attempting to flee the area.
In addition to the suspects, the police retrieved several items abandoned by other fleeing members of the mob, indicating their involvement in illegal activities:
- Three (3) locally manufactured guns.
- Two (2) motorbikes.
- One (1) tricycle.
- Three (3) deep freezers and one (1) table-top fridge.
The suspects and the retrieved items were transported to the Wa Regional Headquarters for further interrogation and comprehensive investigations into the assault and the weapons theft.
In a move to recover the remaining weapons and ensure accountability, DCOP Yiribaare engaged directly with the Chief and the Assembly member of Saawie Community.
The Regional Commander issued a stern warning regarding the “gravity of the incident”—assault on state officers and theft of firearms—and delivered a non-negotiable directive: the community leaders must produce the two remaining AK-47 rifles and the magazine within 24 hours.
The police emphasise that the continued safety of the community and the region depends on the immediate return of the missing military-grade weapons.
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