The Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA) has expressed disappointment in the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga for comments he made concerning the killing of some innocent individuals by the Kusasi bandits in Pusiga.
On Thursday, September 21, it was reported that some 10 individuals (7 women and 3 men) were ambushed and killed on their way to transact business at Cinkase which according to the Mamprugu youth was carried out by Kusasi bandits.
MAYA have since condemned the act and called on security agencies to act swiftly to bring responsible persons to book.
In another statement released on Saturday, September 23, MAYA noted that “Mr. Ayariga’s statement which should have focused on condemning the banditry perpetrated by his tribesmen shamelessly sought to justify the killings of these innocent women and men by calling it retaliatory and mentioning supposed attacks on the Walewale route”.
“We have always maintained that these Kusasi bandits have the explicit endorsement of their leaders right from Aninchema to their MP’s and other political office holders to continue the violence and other acts of terrorism on innocent people in the name of fighting mamprusis. Otherwise, what is it that Ayariga knows about this incident that no one else knows as to call it retaliatory and seeking to link it to any other incident”, the group said.
They further noted that “they are not surprised by his shameless statement because it is his hypocrisy, actions and inactions as well as that of the remaining 5 members of parliament in the Bawku area that has emboldened the Kusasi bandits to continuously for a period of 2 years terrorize innocent persons.
Since the eruption of the conflict, Hon. Aayariga who should have remained neutral principally because he is a member of parliament representing all people in Bawku and also as someone whose father and mother hail from both feuding factions, lost his conscience by openly being the chief spokesperson for the Kusasis. He did this severally on national Television and Radio emboldening his tribesmen. Other politicians like Hon. Avoka also mounted public platforms to project their tribesmen emboldening the activities of their tribal bandits.
The Kusasi bandits who felt they had the backing of their tribesmen MPs and the Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu embarked on a series of ambushing and road attacks in the Bawku area”.
They therefore listed some of the attacks launched by the Kusasis bandits which have not been condemned by MPs from the region.
1. 27 December 2021: 2 innocent young men from Gambaga were traveling to Kulungungu from Gambaga to deliver a purchased horse were ambushed and killed at Bugri corner. This was a deliberate attack on citizens from the North East region who were not from Bawku.
2. 7 December 2021: A car belonging to the Military intelligence was attacked and burnt at Sabon-Gari on the Bawku – Pusiga road.
3. 9 January 2022: Attack on Cinkase bound 207 at Pusiga (same community which is the location for this recent attack). An innocent woman and driver by name Mahadi were killed, and several others were injured.
4. 10 January 2022: Ten market cars that were entering Bawku township from Burkina Faso were blocked and diverted to an unapproved market. Since then, trucks from Burkina Faso coming to the Bawku central market have always been blocked by the Kusasi bandits from accessing the township.
5. 10 January 2022: Ambush on a Tamale bound market truck killing the driver by name Tijani.
6. 13 May 2022: Attack on an ambulance on Bawku – Bolga highways. The ambulance was carrying a sick person on referral to TTH.
7. 8 May 2022: NPP Youth and executives returning to Bawku from NPP Upper East regional elections attacked around the Bawku Municipal Assembly. 2 persons sustained gunshot wounds.
8. 8 June 2022: A Cinkasse-bound car was attacked at the same location in Pusiga district and the driver by name Cantona was killed and burnt in his car.
9. 16 August 2022: A car returning to Bawku from Bolga was attacked at the entrance of Bawku Senior High School. 3 persons were killed and 3 others were injured.
10. 18 September, 2022: A car returning from Cinkase attacked at Sabon Gari. A woman by name Ayishetu ABUKARI lost her life. 3 others sustained gunshot wounds.
11. 15 January 2023. A bus ambushed adjacent Bawku Police station. 1 person sustained gunshot wounds.
12. 3 April 2023: Attack on a private car entering Bawku close to the Municipal Assembly killing an innocent immigration officer and injuring 2 others.
13. 18 July 2023: Attack and killing of a driver by name Alhaji Salisu at Bazua in the Binduri district.
14. 19 July 2023: Attack on a Kia Rhino truck killing 2 people and burning their goods at Bugri corner.
This is not an exhaustive list of attacks on innocent traders and road users but are enough to expose the hypocrisy of Hon. Ayariga. In most of these attacks, we issued press statements drawing the attention of the security, government and all stakeholders to the dangers of these banditry activities perpetuated by the Kusasis but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
We wrote petitions to the Police and Military commands and the Upper East Regional Security Council. We made the case that these attacks had the potential of escalating the conflict in other parts of the country if nothing was done immediately. Neither Hon. Ayariga nor his colleague MPs saw the need to issue statements to call their tribesmen to order. They rather saw these attacks as a show of their might and something that would force Mamprusis and other people living in the Bawku township to succumb to the Kusasis.
Similarly, we wish to draw the attention of the media and public to a series of attacks on innocent market women across the various districts in the Bawku area.
1. Attacks and burning of market goods belonging to innocent market women from Bawku and innocent Mamprusis in Binaba and Zebilla markets in the Zebilla district.
2. Attacks and burning of market goods belonging to innocent market women from Bawku at Bazua market in the Binduri district.
3. Attacks and burning of market goods belonging to innocent market women from Bawku at Garu market in the Garu district.
4. 5 April 2023: Killing of 2 Mamprusis and burning of their houses in Gumyoko in the Binduri district.
5. 23 June 2023: Killing of 1 Mamprusis (Assemblyman) in Nayoko in the Binduri District.
6. 22 June 2023: Killing of 2 Mamprusis in Binduri township.
All these attacks are usually carried during the brightness of day and most of them are captured on video. There has been no single statement by Hon. Ayariga and his colleague MPs in condemnation of these banditry attacks.
They concluded that, the Mamprugu Youth have remained peaceful for a very long time but our patience has been taken for granted by the Kusasis, their leaders and government.
