Bawku Police retrieve guns

Police in the Bawku Municipality have retrieved two guns that hitherto were in private hands in the area.

One of the guns, an AK47, was confiscated in January 2013 from the owner after an arrest by the Police at Bawku, upon a tip off.

The second gun, a M16, was willingly handed over to the Police by the owner on Monday February 18 2013, in line with the Municipal Assembly’s request for people to give up their guns for a GH¢3000 cash reward.

The Police have refused to mention the names of the two who have handed over their guns, in line with its promise to conceal the identity of people who willingly do so.

The concealment of the identity of these persons is to protect them from a possible anger and discrimination by their tribesmen.

It is an open secret in the Bawku Municipality that people who own guns in the area are held in high esteem and protected by their tribesmen, and, therefore, handing over their guns to the Police will amount to letting their people down.

The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Abdulai Musah, in an earlier interview with DAILY GUIDE, said the Assembly was committed to the campaign to get gun owners to hand over their guns to the Police voluntarily.
According to him, the Bawku Municipal Assembly is prepared to pay the GH¢3000 promised to anyone who hands over his or her gun to the Police willingly.
Also anyone who will give information that will lead to the arrest of someone hiding a gun in the Municipality will be given the GH¢3000 reward.
The Bawku Municipal Police Crime Officer, DSP Adamu Seidu, confirmed this to the DAILY GUIDE, adding that the campaign would continue until all or more guns in private hands got to the Police.
He had encouraged people with guns in the Bawku Municipality to willingly hand over their guns to avoid being arrested upon a tip off.