A former National Security advisor, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah, has expressed concern that the ongoing civilian casualties inflicted by the military pose a growing security threat.
His remarks come in the wake of a military operation that the armed forces described as the neutralization of individuals engaged in a gun battle with them.
This operation resulted in the death of three residents of Bawku, where soldiers had been deployed to maintain peace amid a renewed chieftaincy conflict.
On January 19, 2024, reports surfaced that three residents were killed on the preceding night by soldiers, a claim denied by the military.
According to the military’s statement, the fatal encounter occurred during a night foot patrol around Hasania School in Sabongari, where four gunmen opened fire on the officers.
The military asserts that they returned fire, neutralizing three assailants, while the fourth managed to escape.
In response to these incidents, the Ministry of Interior has revised the curfew hours for the Bawku municipality, now in effect from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.
Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah, in an exclusive interview with TV3’s Beatrice Adu, attributed the killings to indiscipline within the military, which he linked to the recruitment of personnel from what he termed a “rotten society.”
Addressing the security implications, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah warned that the recurrent civilian killings could lead to broader security challenges. He emphasized that the military’s actions reflected the societal issues from which recruits are drawn.
When asked if he considered the civilian deaths a security threat, he affirmed, stating that such incidents could provoke individuals, not necessarily from the military, to take matters into their own hands.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry’s statement urged stakeholders in Bawku to exercise restraint and seek peaceful resolutions to the challenges facing the region. Additionally, it emphasized a total ban on carrying arms or ammunition in the Bawku Municipality and its surroundings, with violators subject to arrest and prosecution.