On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, military personnel stationed in Bawku reopened the Municipal Assembly offices that had been forcibly closed by unidentified individuals amid ongoing chieftaincy conflicts in the region.
The offices of the Bawku Municipal Assembly and Binduri District Assembly were locked on Monday, November 4, by a group demanding the arrest of Alhaji Seidu Abagre before they would allow the offices to reopen.
The unrest in Bawku intensified after Seidu Abagre, a rival chief installed by the Nayiri, returned to the area on October 26. Abagre had been in exile following a February 2023 arrest warrant related to his contested installation.
However, on October 17, 2024, a High Court in Kumasi quashed the arrest warrant, paving the way for his return. His arrival has reignited the long-standing chieftaincy dispute, leading to deadly clashes that have left at least two dead and several injured.
In response to the violence, essential services in Bawku have been severely disrupted. Schools have closed as teachers and students fled due to safety concerns, and the Ghana Water Company and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) suspended operations in the town, leaving residents without water and electricity.
Authorities have imposed a curfew from 6 am to 6 pm in Bawku, with security forces patrolling the area to maintain order as the community braces for potential further unrest.
