Lawyer for Bawku Naaba, Maxwell Ziyerley Agbambilla, has disagreed with the suggestion that security lapses contributed to the recent disturbances in Bawku.
According to him, the notion that the national security apparatus has not been fully aware of the events occurring in the Bawku township is untrue.
“I completely disagree that the national security or the security architecture of this country has never been fully aware of all the events that are happening in Bawku,” he stated.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr. Agbambilla asserted that the ongoing conflict in Bawku is largely driven by the perception among the Mamprusi community that, because they count Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as one of their own, they can use his position to perpetrate the violence currently affecting the area.
He noted that national security previously detected the potential for unrest and issued an injunction to prevent the funeral rites of a long-deceased chief—a decision many warned could lead to conflict.
“Then later we heard there was some purported enskinment in Bawku, and the government issued an arrest warrant for the arrest of Seidu Abagre,” he said.
He stated that unless the government or security intelligence deliberately chooses not to pursue an individual, if someone commits wrongdoing, they will certainly be found, suggesting that intelligence failures are not the main issue.
The lawyer for the Bawku Naaba argued that Seidu Abagre, whose return to Bawku has exacerbated tensions between rival factions and resulted in multiple clashes, is living as a free man despite his arrest.
He questioned how someone who is supposedly hiding could have lawyers and give instructions to people going to court.
“The government did not want to act. National security just didn’t want to act,” he stressed.
He added, “I don’t think that the security architecture is unaware of what is happening in Bawku. It is because some people think that by giving the Mamprusis in Bawku what they want, it may brighten the chances of Dr. Bawumia.”
His comments followed remarks by a lecturer at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Dr. Victor Doke, who pointed to lapses in security intelligence as a possible factor in the renewed conflict.
Dr. Doke argued that inadequate intelligence monitoring and preventive measures may have allowed the recent violence, which resulted in approximately 19 deaths. He expressed concerns about the readiness of security services, given the known tensions in the area.