GENERAL NEWS

Bawku: Forceful eviction of traders by security officers leaves scores with injuries, vehicles destroyed

The security officials reportedly used force in an attempt to get the traders to move from the street to the main market.

In the course of the action, the officers destroyed meals being sold by food vendors and also pushed down some motorcycles.

Some windscreens were also smashed in the exercise that started around 7.20am on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Citi News’ attempt to film the incident was fiercely resisted by the security officers. Some aggrieved traders said they did not understand why force was applied to the attempt to get them to move from the roadside.

“We were here at highways when the soldiers and police came and started beating us. They destroyed motor tricycles, tables and started chasing us,” one trader said.

A food vendor also said, “the police and military people came to highways and asked what I was doing, and I told them I cook and sell food. Then the soldiers started beating me up and destroyed all the food I had prepared for sale this morning. And it is this food I sell to take care of my children, and they have destroyed everything, what am I going to do? Again, is the conflict at highways? Why will they come here to beat us up when there is no conflict here. If the security can’t deal with the conflict, they should go home and not come and brutalize us.”

Meanwhile, the Bawku District Police Commander Superintendent Simon Peter Akabati says his outfit is yet to conduct investigations into the incident.

“I learnt about it not too long ago, and I am yet to do an in-depth investigation into the cause of the disturbances, but I am told some traders who were selling by the roadside were deviant and were not cooperating with the instructions to move to the new market.  [The team] went to drive them to go to the new market and that is where the misunderstanding took place and others felt offended,” he said.

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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