Update: NPP supporters’ houses set ablaze in Bawku
January 27, 2012 No Comments
Police in Bawku are investigating arson attacks against NPP supporters in the area.
It follows the torching of several houses belonging to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters at dawn on Friday.
The burnt houses included that of the former Bawku NPP constituency chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala.
The attacks come in the wake of similar ones against supporters of Deputy Education Minister Mahama Ayariga earlier this month.
Bawku Crime Officer DSP Adamu Seidu confirmed the incident to Joy News.
Meanwhile, Amadu Hamza, the Bawku NPP Secretary, suspected the NDC youth in Bawku were behind the arson.
“We think that the attack was politically motivated by members of the ruling government since Mahama Ayariga [NDC parliamentary candidate for the area] came out earlier to allege that NPP members were burning NDC members” homes two weeks ago,” he said.
“We believe the situation is not calm because there are indications that this is just the beginning and we are expecting government to strengthen the local security arrangement on the ground,” Hamza added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Education and the NDC Parliamentary candidate for Bawku, Mahama Ayariga, who had earlier raised alarm on a similar attack on NDC members condemned the act.
He denied the allegation that his party supporters were behind the arson.
“I totally condemn this things and I want to give the assurance that no member or leader in our party will support such acts,” he said. “People are trying to create the impression that given the numerous complaints that I have made on this issue means the NDC members are retaliating.
“We have been cautioning all our supporters not to attempt to engage in any act of retaliation and leave the matter in the hands of the police,? he added.
The deputy Education Minister therefore pleaded with supporters of the two major political parties in Bawku to co-exist peacefully.
Ayariga impressed upon the security operatives in Bawku to strengthen their intelligence system to be able to apprehend the arsonists.
From: Joy News with additional files from citifmonline.com