Security analyst, Professor Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, has issued a grave warning regarding the escalating security crisis in Bawku, stressing the urgent need for a shift in strategy within the next 72 hours to avoid a complete breakdown of control in the region. In a powerful interview on Joy FM’s Newsnight on Tuesday, April 15, Prof. Aning criticised Ghana’s current security approach in Bawku, calling the nation’s risk assessments “at best bogus, at worst, utterly distasteful.”
The professor’s comments came in the wake of a series of attacks in the Upper East Region, where the Ghana Police Service raised alarms over escalating violence against its personnel and their families. In response, the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, issued a directive banning the movement of officers and their families into Bawku. Those already deployed in the region were instructed to wear full protective gear and only move under armoured escort.
Prof. Aning emphasised that the police’s directive is a clear indication that the security situation in Bawku has rapidly deteriorated, pointing to recent incidents, including the killing of two police officers in Binduri and an attempted assassination of the IGP. He described these events as signs of growing boldness among the armed factions in the region. “In operational calculus, this sends a signal to those who are armed that they are now on an upward ascendancy—that the security forces have been pinned to the wall,” he warned.
He called for a drastic operational change within the next 72 hours, or the nation risks losing control of the situation entirely. “We need some dramatic change in our operational tactics,” Prof. Aning said, adding that if immediate action is not taken, the country would lose the initiative in managing the crisis.
The professor also stressed the importance of providing immediate psychological support and reinforcements to officers stationed in Bawku. According to him, the state must demonstrate its ability to regain control over the area and restore order. “The Ghana Police Service recognises the extreme situation that is in Bawku, and they need to take all the necessary measures first to protect their own. Hopefully, we can beef up the response and show that the state still holds authority there,” he said.
As Bawku continues to face severe insecurity, experts and officials are calling for swift action to stabilise the region and prevent further escalation of violence.
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