Bawku police launch probe into disturbances
The Bawku Divisional Police Command has launched an investigation into the disturbances that occurred between some angry youth and the police in Bawku last Sunday.
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Chief Superintendent Tefutor Kaletsi, the Bawku Divisional Police Commander, who said this, said some names had come up for investigations and the police would soon pick them up for interrogation.
Last week, the youth vandalised the armoury and one patrol vehicle at the Bawku Police Station to demand the release of a Mallarmé, Alhaji Osman Miigah.
The police had to fire warning shots to disperse the angry youth.
Alhaji Miigah had earlier been picked up by the police for questioning over his role in allegedly forcing some children to beg for alms on the streets of Bawku. He had also been teaching the children Arabic.
The police had advised him to stop sending the children to go begging but he reportedly remained recalcitrant.
According to Chief Supt Kaletsi, prior to the attack by the youth, the police had picked up Alhaji Miigah to question him about his involvement in making some children to beg on the streets.
He further explained that the youth vandalised the police station because information had earlier gone out that Alhaji Miigah was still in police custody, although he had been released.
The commander stressed that the police "did not arrest Alhaji Miigah but rather sought to question him why he was engaging children to beg on the streets”.
He intimated that the suspect was picked up because the police were poised to curb rising juvenile crimes such as stealing in the municipality.
Asked whether there were any injuries as a result of the misunderstanding between the police and the irate youth, he said as far as he was concerned no injuries resulted from the confrontation.
MUSEC meeting
Meanwhile, the Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Issahaku Bukari, at a Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) meeting on yesterday involving some opinion leaders and Imams, condemned the action of the youth and apologised to the police for the destruction caused to police property.
Mr Bukari explained that an agreement was reached that the Imams would talk to the youth in their respective mosques and at home to ensure that they did not take the law into their own hands.
"For now, Bawku is calm and everything is going on peacefully," he noted.