The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has criticized the military for allegedly unleashing mayhem on residents of Garu over the weekend.
Allegedly, military personnel went on a rampage and attacked residents of Garu on Saturday, an action believed to be a retaliatory move.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Mr. Ayariga described the alleged military action as unacceptable.
“The youth didn’t go out there to attack soldiers. In any case, the incident happened in Garu, so why go to other neighbouring communities?” he questioned.
The incident in question occurred on the 29th of October when uniformed military personnel entered Garu, sparking concern and outrage.
Reports indicate that approximately 200 community members were subjected to harassment and physical assault by the military personnel.
The military’s justification for their actions was rooted in the alleged need to retrieve weapons and uncover leads related to an earlier assault on a national security vehicle.
Mahama Ayariga further suggested that providing uniforms for officers of National Security might reduce attacks on them by civilians.
“We all know that there are security issues in Bawku, Garu, Pusiga. Therefore, if any member of the security agencies is moving into that zone, there must be protocols. You should be in your uniform so that civilians from afar can identify you as a soldier, policeman, immigration officer, or fire officer. In this instance, they were not in uniforms; they were driving in an unnumbered Land Cruiser.”
“They said they were on an operation, and the people didn’t know which operation it was in Garu. You come and be in an obscure corner. The military, as an institution, has no basis for deciding to carry out a mass attack on the entire community because one, two, or three of their own were attacked. They must understand that these people were not wearing military uniforms, making it difficult for the people to easily identify them as soldiers and go to attack them,” Mahama Ayariga told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News.
