Unidentified gunmen last Thursday night shot into a group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists around the Tamale West Hospital area, injuring nine people in the process. The victims were reportedly having fun at a musical programme organised by some NPP youth activists when the incident occurred. No arrest had been made at the time of filing this report.
The Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Ebenezer Tetteh confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic in Tamale and noted that the assailants, who were in an unregistered taxi cab, quickly sped off after committing the crime.
The Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Ebenezer Tetteh confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic in Tamale and noted that the assailants, who were in an unregistered taxi cab, quickly sped off after committing the crime.
He said the injured persons sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds and were currently receiving treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) but the hospital authorities had indicated that the victims were in stable condition.
They were identified as Hudu Osman, Iddrisu Nasamu, Abubakari Shaibu, Sumaila Abubakari, Ayaglibu Nyaaba, Zulaiha Yakubu, the only female; Issahaku Sadat and Zuberu Muniru.
The PRO stated that the last person, who was yet to be identified, was operated on and had been moved to the recovery ward of the hospital.
Mr Tetteh indicated that at the time of the incident, police personnel were on patrol in the metropolis.
He, however, assured the public that investigations were underway to bring the perpetrators to book.
"We would saturate the whole metropolis with men to ensure that the NPP congress is peaceful," he further assured.
An aspiring First Vice Chairman of the NPP, Mr Sammy Crabbe, who visited the victims about the TTH, later expressed worry at the incident.
He noted that the issue had to be treated purely as a criminal offence and not a political one.
Mr Crabbe, however, expressed optimism that the NPP would come out of the congress more united than ever before.
Meanwhile, at a pre-deployment briefing of police personnel at the Jubilee Park in Tamale, the Director General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP), Mr John Kudalor, stated that the "police would intensify patrols in the metropolis until the last delegate leaves the metropolis peacefully."
