Bawku Conflict: 3 Students Shot In Dormitories, Interior Ministry Renews Curfew In Bawku
The long-running Bawku conflict has taken a tragic turn with the recent killings of three students in separate but seemingly connected gun attacks on senior high school premises. These incidents, occurring on the evening of Saturday, July 26, 2025, have plunged the region into further fear and mourning, raising urgent calls for enhanced security and a critical re-evaluation of the conflict’s underlying dynamics.
One Night Murder In 2 Different Schools Leading To Closure
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, two male students of Nalerigu Senior High School, identified as Lukman and Gideon, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen who stormed their dormitory. The attack, which occurred in the North East Region, is widely believed by local sources to be linked to the protracted Bawku ethnic conflict, which has frequently spilled into neighboring areas. Assembly Member for the Denugu Electoral Area, Dasmani Fuseini, who is also an uncle to one of the deceased, confirmed the killings, stating that the bodies are currently in police custody as families work to retrieve them for burial. The Ghana Police Service has launched an investigation, but no arrests have been made.
Simultaneously, a deadly shooting incident unfolded at Bawku Senior High School, leading to its temporary closure. Hakim Kundima, a final-year student, was fatally shot at approximately 8:30 PM on the same Saturday evening. Unknown assailants reportedly scaled the school’s perimeter wall, invaded the dormitory, and forcibly removed Hakim before shooting him outside in what appears to have been a targeted attack. The perpetrators escaped immediately, and no arrests have been reported. Tahiru Kundima, the victim’s elder brother, confirmed the death, revealing that the Bawku Divisional Police Commander personally transported Hakim’s body to the family. He, too, suggested a link to the ongoing Bawku conflict.
In response to this grave incident, Isaac Agbeko Azasoo, the Bawku Municipal Director of Education, ordered the temporary closure of Bawku Senior High School on Sunday, July 27, citing grave concerns for the safety and security of students and staff. These parallel tragedies have ignited widespread alarm regarding student safety in educational institutions located within conflict-prone zones.
Bawku Conflict Is a Pure Crime – Edudzi Tameklo
The Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has urged the public to refrain from solely attributing the recent student killings to the ongoing chieftaincy dispute in Bawku. Speaking on TV3’s Newday on Monday, July 28, 2025, Tameklo asserted that the actions of the culprits constitute “plain criminality” and must be dealt with decisively under the law.
He emphasized a clear distinction: “When you carry a gun or machete, and you go to a secondary school and discharge that firearm into a school, thereby fatally wounding a student, that’s not chieftaincy dispute, that is crime. So, we need to draw a clear distinction between criminality and issues about chieftaincy.” Tameklo highlighted that, to his understanding, the chieftaincy matter is currently under discussion with ongoing peace talks, suggesting that these recent violent acts bear no direct connection to the chieftaincy issue itself.
He reiterated, “What happened at Bawku Secondary School is pure crime, let nobody colour it. What happened in the killing of the Kusasi chief of Ashanti Region is a crime. For a person to mount a motorbike and kill a man in his house is not chieftaincy, its crime. So, the people who are engaged in that conduct are criminals pure and simple.”
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Edudzi Tameklo expressed confidence in law enforcement agencies to restore peace and bring the perpetrators of these alleged crimes to justice. He distanced the actions from any legitimate traditional authority, stating, “The Nayiri, a very distinguished chief of this republic will not send somebody to go and do such a (sic) thing, never. He will never do that so, the people who are behind these issues of crime are nobody but pure criminals.” He commended the proactive steps taken by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the National Security Coordinator, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of the Interior to ensure peace in Bawku.
An Attempt To Derail Peace Efforts Led By Asantehene In Bawku Conflict
Beyond the immediate criminality, Edudzi Tameklo, who also serves as the CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), raised concerns about what he perceives as deliberate attempts by certain elements to incite unrest and derail peace efforts led by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Speaking on the same TV3 program, he questioned why “faceless individuals” would engage in recent killings in the Ashanti Region.
Tameklo suggested these developments might be a calculated effort to “export” the Bawku chieftaincy conflict to the Ashanti Region, where the Asantehene is actively mediating the dispute. “Look, it is obvious that some people are trying so hard to, as it were, export the conflict beyond that enclave into the Ashanti Region. It also does appear that there are some people who are not happy that there will be peace in those areas,” he stated.
He further elaborated, “Because why in God’s name would you want to go and kill in Ashanti Region knowing very well that it is where Otumfuo is and he is leading this mediation. So, it is clear that there is an attempt to derail the excellent work that Nana Asantehene is doing, and that for me, goes beyond mischief to plain criminality.”
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to national stability, Tameklo issued a stern warning: “Our law enforcement officers, and I need to point this out, nobody will be permitted under President John Dramani Mahama to attempt creating a state of insecurity. It’s a narrative that some people want to drive, but it won’t work. President John Dramama Mahama does not have any personal interest in that conflict.”
These statements suggest a growing concern that elements beyond the immediate parties to the Bawku chieftaincy dispute might be actively working to perpetuate instability, possibly with political motives.
It Could Be Politics – Security Expert On Root Cause Of Bawku Conflict
A renowned expert in Security and International Relations, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, has pinpointed political interference as the primary factor driving the persistent conflict in Bawku. In an interview with Channel One Newsroom on July 27, 2025, Dr. Antwi-Danso cautioned that military deployments alone are insufficient to resolve the crisis, emphasizing the critical need to directly confront the underlying political tensions.
He noted that the government’s continued reliance on military and police interventions has yielded minimal results, failing to address the root cause of the conflict. “Military presence, police presence in their numbers have failed to solve the problem. There are several pillars propping up the conflict. It could be history that has not been properly related, and we’re adding on and twisting history,” he was quoted by citinewsroom on July 27. “It may even be the way the media has handled the issue. It may be the people themselves or intra-community miscommunication. It could be politics,” he added.
Dr. Antwi-Danso firmly stated that political influence lies at the heart of the Bawku crisis, warning that unless these interferences are dismantled, the conflict will persist despite continuous security interventions. “In the Bawku case, politics is one of the greatest beams supporting the conflict,” he asserted. “So, until you remove these props one by one for the conflict triangle to fall, you have done nothing. So, using the military often is only a stopgap.” His remarks underscore the inadequacy of purely security-focused approaches when political manipulation fuels the unrest.
Gov’t Renews Curfew and Ban on Weapons
In light of the escalating violence, the Minister for the Interior, acting on the advice of the Upper East Regional Security Council and by Executive Instrument, has reviewed the curfew hours for Bawku Municipality and its environs. Effective Sunday, July 27, 2025, the curfew has been adjusted from 2:00 PM to 6:00 AM daily until further notice.
The government has also issued a strong call to action, urging “Chiefs, Elders, Opinion Leaders, Youth and people of the area to exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting them as well as to use non-violent means to channel their energies into ensuring peace.”
Furthermore, a total ban on all persons in the Bawku Municipality and its environs from carrying arms, ammunition, or any offensive weapons remains in effect. The statement explicitly warns that “any persons found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted,” signaling a reinforced commitment to disarming the region and restoring order.
Bawku Conflict Is Now An Organized Crime, Not Just Ethnic Tension – Security Analyst
