Five police officers were brutally assaulted and disarmed by an angry mob in the Saawie community in the Jirapa Municipality on Friday, December 5, resulting in the seizure of three service weapons, including two AK-47 rifles that remain missing.
The incident has sparked serious security concerns in the region, with police issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to community leaders to assist in recovering the missing rifles.
According to a police situational report, the officers were dispatched from Jirapa by the Municipal Commander ASP George Doeto Saawie around 3:40 p.m. to engage local leaders and defuse rising tensions over threats to burn the homes of Fulani herdsmen, a long-standing source of friction in the area.
Upon arrival, the five-member team was suddenly confronted by a mob of approximately 30 people who attacked the officers, inflicting serious injuries and forcibly seizing their weapons: two AK-47 rifles and one pistol.
Following the assault, Upper West Regional Police Commander DCOP Francis Yiribaare swiftly mobilised reinforcement teams from Jirapa, Lawra, Wa, Nadowli, and Nandom districts. The combined force rescued the injured officers and rushed them to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Jirapa, where they are said to be responding to treatment.
A subsequent search operation led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle (without its magazine) and the pistol. Police also seized three locally made guns, two motorbikes, one tricycle, three deep freezers, and a table-top refrigerator believed to have been abandoned by fleeing attackers.
Nine suspects have been arrested, some reportedly found hiding under beds or attempting to escape the community. They have been transferred to the Regional Police Headquarters in Wa for interrogation.
DCOP Yiribaare has since met with the Chief and Assembly Member of Saawie, warning of severe consequences if the two missing AK-47 rifles and the outstanding magazine are not returned within the stipulated 24-hour period.