Two persons sustained gunshot wounds resulting in the death of one of them following a misunderstanding between two separate groups of people who are claiming ownership of a piece of land at Sabon Gare, a suburb of Bawku, in the Upper East Region.
The misunderstanding degenerated into violence when claimants to the land reportedly engaged in gun fire exchanges that resulted in the death of Mohammed Mahmood, 26 a ‘Mahama-Can-do rider’.
Mahmood allegedly sustained gunshots wounds in the head and later died at the Bawku Presbyterian hospital.
The other victim, a student, Zulka Salam,16 also reportedly sustained gunshot wounds in the abdomen but was treated and discharged at the same hospital.
The Public Affairs Officer of the Upper East Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP), Mr David Fianko-Okyere, who confirmed the story to Graphic Online today, Saturday, July 31,2021, said the incident occurred on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at about 2.00 pm.
He however pointed out that both the deceased and injured person were only victims of the land dispute between the two groups of people and that the incident is not in any way related to the Bawku conflict.
He further explained that, police in Bawku received complaints from two persons on the same day the incident happened that they were developing their plot of land at Sabon Gare when some other two individuals came to claim ownership of the same land.
While the police were taking statements from the two persons, another group also came to make similar complaints that some people have encroached on their piece of land.
The Police subsequently advised the two groups of people to avoid working on the piece of land in contention until investigations were concluded on the veracity of their respective claims.
ASP Fianko-Okyere observed that police later received another piece of information at about 2:30 pm that there has been a shooting incident on the piece of land in contention.
Police moved in and investigations revealed that two people sustained gunshot wounds and were receiving treatment at the Bawku Presbyterian hospital.
However, one of the victims was treated and discharged while the other was confirmed dead by the medical doctor on duty.
ASP Fianko-Okyere however assured the public of thorough investigations to arrest perpetrators of the incident and prosecute them.
