Drobo shooting incident: 2 confirmed dead; curfew imposed

Residents at Drobo and Japekrom in the Jaman South of the Brong-Ahafo Region are living in fear because of the renewed hostility by the twin-town, which police say has claimed the lives of two persons while 14 others have sustained gunshot wounds.

Notwithstanding the police claim, other reports filtering in from the area indicate that the death toll has risen to four while scores of the people have been injured in reprisal attacks.

Curfew

The Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has imposed a curfew in the area after considering the security situation.

The curfew which starts from 6pm to 6am every day has been imposed on eight communities in the area including Drobo, Japekrom, Mpuasu, Bibianiha and others. The move is to help curb further clashes.

Reports say the volatile situation, which began on Wednesday evening, has resulted in the closure of schools in the area while economic activities have also come to a standstill, particularly at Drobo, the district capital where most of the people are staying indoors for fear of the lives.

Even though combined police cum military reinforcement (made up of 60 policemen and 30 military men) has been dispatched to monitor the situation, reports indicate that the youth of Japekrom, which had so far had casualties, are bent on carrying out a reprisal attack on the Drobo community.

The police have identified one of the deceased as the Mmrantehene (Youth chief) of Japekrom, Wofa Sena Atta, 42, while the other deceased is yet to be identified.

But local FM stations are reporting that the deceased include Wofa Atta, a taxi driver and two others.

According to the police, Wofa Atta is believed to had died out of a gunshot while the yet to be identified deceased is believed to have been lynched by a mob attacked.

All the 14 injured persons believed to be from the Japekrom side have been sent to the Sampa Government Hospital in the Jaman North District and the Berekum Catholic Hospital in the Berekum Municipality for treatment instead of the nearby Drobo Catholic Hospital for fear of an attack on the facilities of the hospital.

An unspecified number of cars are said to have been burnt while others had had their wind screens smashed in the two towns.

Police and military personnel are currently patrolling the streets of the two communities to prevent further clashes.

Read also: Japekrom residents attacked by snipers in Drobo; 1 killed, 15 injured