Ayariga petitions CHRAJ over alleged military killings in Bawku
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central in the Upper East region, Mahama Ayariga, has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the alleged killing of 10 people by military men on an operation in the Bawku area.
The incident happened this week.
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Mr Ayariga is demanding GH¢500,000 as compensation for the families of each person allegedly killed by the military.
“Compensation of GH¢500,000 for each and every one of those whose lives were taken to be paid to their immediate families as punitive damage," he stated in the petition to CHRAJ.
In the petition dated Friday, February 3, 2023, Mr Ayariga indicated he was doing that in his capacity as the Member of Parliament for the area.
He indicated his petition was under regulation 2(2) (a) and (b) of C.I. 67 pertaining to several acts of violation of the human rights of some residents of Bawku by members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
He said the GAF has violated the constitutional right to life of his constituents.
“Among the rights violated included the sacred right to life of 10 citizens of Bawku who were shot to death by members of the armed forces engaged in Operation Gongong in Bawku on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February 2023. Children’s rights. Women’s rights and property rights were violated."
GAF response
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces has stated that they engaged a group of armed men and neutralised six of them.
The military in a statement on Thursday, February 2, 2023, said “In a separate incident, sporadic firing was heard around Sabongari General Area. A Patrol Team dispatched to assess the situation spotted unknown armed men at Gozesi-Valley side in Sabongari wearing black T-shirts with Black Hoodies."
Troops engaged them and neutralised six (6) armed men. During the engagement, some armed men took cover in a mud house within the immediate vicinity to engage the Team.”
The GAF said one of the armed men attempted to attack the troops with a cutlass but was disarmed in the process. During the operation, a local woman found with a gunshot injury on her left hand was sent to Bawku Presbyterian Hospital by troops for treatment,” the army added.
Ayariga's position
Mr Ayariga in his petition to CHRAJ said, “I reject the self-serving coverup account of the circumstances surrounding the brutal killings contained in the statement of the Ghana Armed Forces engaged in Operation Gongong and hereby call for an investigation by the CHRAJ so that eyewitnesses can give an accurate account of the brutality with which the military executed the killings."
"The incidents occurred on the 1st of February 2023. An earlier killing of 2 persons in Patelmi in Bawku by members of the Ghana Armed Forces occurred on 26th of January 2023”, he added.
Below is a copy of the petition:
