Residents of Bawku in the Upper East Region have recounted terrifying encounters with military personnel, accusing them of using guns, stones, and metal objects to assault civilians during a late-night operation.
On the night of Tuesday, March 18, heavily armed soldiers reportedly stormed homes in Bawku, conducting forced searches and physically assaulting residents.
This military action is said to have been triggered by the fatal shooting of a Ghana Armed Forces officer on Monday, March 17.
Reports indicate that the officer was ambushed and killed by unidentified gunmen while walking on foot.
Several victims have shared their traumatic experiences. One woman revealed that soldiers broke into her house and subjected her to a brutal beating without explanation.
“When I opened the door, they started beating me and asked me, ‘Where are the men of this house?’ I told them I have no mother, father, or husband and that I live alone. But they continued beating me, hitting my ears and jaw, and injuring my hands,” she narrated.
“They didn’t even ask us what happened. They just started beating us, destroying our properties, and taking our phones, belongings, and money,” he said.
He added that some of the soldiers repeatedly asked, “Do you want to kill a soldier? Do you want to beat a soldier?” before assaulting them with guns, stones, and metallic objects.
“We were in the house, we didn’t go out for them to say we have broken rules or boundaries by going outside around curfew hours,” he lamented.
A resident recounted how soldiers burst into his home around 8:30 p.m., assaulting him and his brothers without any warning or explanation.
Reports suggest that civilians, including women, were subjected to severe physical abuse during the operation. Many men were left with deep bruises and lash marks on their backs, while others had visible bloodstains on their bodies.
Videos from the aftermath reveal widespread destruction, with soldiers ransacking homes and damaging personal belongings.
Residents are now appealing to the government to step in and implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
They lamented that instead of providing security during curfew hours, the military has become a source of further distress and suffering.
“We are suffering in Bawku. The military is supposed to protect us, not beat us,” one resident pleaded.