Residents affected by the recent assault in Salugu, situated in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region, are urging the government for assistance after losing all their belongings in the unfortunate incident.
The victims, mostly women and children, now face a dire situation without food and shelter, struggling to salvage anything from the ruins left by the attackers.
They are appealing for prompt action to ensure justice is served, underscoring that this is not the first time they have endured such assaults.
On December 26, 2023, unidentified individuals on motorcycles reportedly invaded the farming community, setting fire to fifty houses along with food supplies and personal belongings.
Despite a visit by the North Gonja District police to the area, no arrests have been made in connection with the attack.
The impacted community comprises sixty-two children, thirty adult females, and twenty adult males, all of whom have experienced substantial losses. The victims describe how their hard-earned harvest from the 2022-2023 farming season, stored in their homes, was not spared in the merciless attack.
During the visit to Salugu by Myjoyonline, scenes unfolded of distressed women making desperate efforts to salvage whatever they could from the charred remnants of their belongings. In a poignant moment, sixty-six-year-old widow Karimatu Alhassan was discovered alone in her burnt room, in tears, trying to gather anything she could find.
“What pains me the most is that I have no husband or son around. The little that I harvested at home would have lasted me through the dry season, but now, everything is gone. It’s a big problem for me because how do I feed,” bemoaned Karimatu Alhassan.
Kasim Adam, another victim, shared the heartbreaking account of losing all his belongings, including a flat-screen television, bed, mattress, clothes, and other valuables. He claimed to recognize the individuals responsible for the attack and alleged that when he attempted to intervene, two policemen pushed him away and fired warning shots.
Upon further investigation by Myjoyonline, it was revealed that the assault on Salugu and Daboya communities originated from a dispute between a farmer, Alhassan Abu, and a herdsman.
The farmer had sought compensation for damages caused by the herdsman’s cattle, leading to a confrontation.
When the herdsman refused to pay, the farmer took custody of one of the cows, subsequently reporting the incident to the police. The police have now taken custody of the cow in Daboya.