7 NPP supporters remanded over Sissala West chaos

Some seven supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), suspected to have played various roles in disturbances in the Sissala West District, have been remanded into police custody after appearing before a Wa Magistrate Court.

The seven, according to the police, are among over 100 persons who are currently on the run.

They have been charged with rioting.The court hearing took place amid heavy police presence. The youth, who stormed the DCE’s office and locked him up, accused the DCE, Mohammed Bakor, of engaging in “divide and rule” tactics. The agitating youth also complained that they were being neglected in favour of people aligned to the DCE, Mohammed Bako.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Sulemana Alhassan, earlier downplayed the incident, which he said stemmed from a minor disagreement between the NPP youth and the DCE.

Warning to police commanders

This development comes a day after the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, warned that Police Commanders who fail to ensure arrests and prosecution in vigilante-related incidents will face sanctions.

“If there is any vigilantism in your area, you must investigate and bring them to book otherwise the commander of that area – be it the village, district or regional commanders – must be sanctioned, we must stop it.

When incidents occur, you either tell us you’ve arrested the perpetrators and are investigating or you are sanctioned. Whoever it is that’s supposed to sanction but doesn’t do so, will be sanctioned as well. We don’t want any more stories,” the Minister said.

The government’s commitment to security has been questioned following the recent upsurge in the number of incidents involving political vigilante groups across the country.

Several groups of Ghanaian youth, believed to be members of the governing NPP, have gone on rampage at least wreaking havoc at state institutions and attacking public officials.