The border town of Hamile in the Lambusie District of the Upper West Region has been thrown into chaos following allegations that a Ghana Immigration Service officer conspired with Burkinabe security operatives to kidnap the wife of a wanted Burkinabe national.
The unrest, which broke out a few days ago, has destroyed property and prompted a heavy security deployment to the area.
According to Mohammed Fatawu, the Assembly Member for Hamile West, tensions flared after residents learned of the alleged kidnapping plot. He claimed the immigration officer allegedly monitored the woman’s movements to aid her capture.
“One of the immigration officers conspired with some security from Burkina Faso to kidnap one of our brothers.
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He too is from Burkina. He is wanted there but currently he is in Côte d’Ivoire. They were tracing to arrest him but couldn’t find him. They also learned that his wife is living in that village. So they conspired with the immigration boss to kidnap that lady,” Fatawu told Citi News.
The assembly member added that the woman was abducted while travelling from Côte d’Ivoire through Nandom, sparking outrage among locals. “The people believed she was being sent to be killed. They vowed to also kill the immigration officer or burn the offices,” he recounted.
Protesters reportedly set fire to the officer’s pickup truck, his phone shop, and a motorcycle belonging to a Burkinabe security operative.
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In a tragic turn of events, a woman named Mahamata is said to have collapsed and died from a blood pressure attack during the disturbances.
Security has since been tightened in Hamile, with police and military reinforcements deployed to prevent further escalation.
Meanwhile, the PRO of the Ghana Immigration Service in the Upper West Region, Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul Mumin, told reporters that security officials were in an emergency meeting at the time of filing the report and would provide an update afterwards.
The situation remains tense as residents demand accountability and assurance of their safety.
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