The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Dr. Mahama Tiah Abdul-Kabiru, has strongly opposed the government’s decision to impose a curfew on Walewale and nearby communities in the North East Region.

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Describing the move as hastily and politically driven, he has however criticized the Interior Ministry for enforcing the restriction without prior engagement.

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His remarks come in response to the curfew order, which follows two recent attacks suspected to be linked to the Bawku conflict.

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In a statement, Dr. Abdul-Kabiru expressed disappointment over the lack of consultation, stressing that such a major decision should not have been made without input from local representatives, given its direct impact on his constituents.

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“The Interior Ministry together with the Ministry of Defence consulted with MPs from the Bawku area without extending an olive branch to those of us equally affected in this matter. This is clearly a decision that does not seek to foster peace but an attempt to use state power to unjustifiably punish innocent civilians,” he said.

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Dr. Abdul-Kabiru questioned why similar measures had not been introduced in other troubled areas such as Binduri, Zebilla, and Garu, where travelers have also faced deadly attacks.

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“Between December 2021 till date, there have been at least 25 attacks in these areas, 3 of which occurred in the last one month. The selective application of this security measure suggests that the lives of travellers to and from Bawku do not matter,” he stated.

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The MP proposed that increasing highway patrols and providing military escorts for commuters would have been a more effective security strategy than enforcing a curfew.

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“Half of the police and military personnel that will be used to enforce this curfew would have provided the security for travellers and businesses,” he noted.

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Dr. Abdul-Kabiru also accused the military of excessive force against civilians, alleging that their actions had led to fatalities and multiple injuries.

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“In the last two days, the military have tortured any person on sight in Kukua, Loagri, Walewale, Gbimsi and Wulugu communities, leading to the loss of one life and several others maimed,” he alleged.

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“The decision to impose the curfew and communication from the Interior Minister suggest that the people of Walewale are those responsible for the attacks. This is clearly a deliberate misunderstanding of the situation,” he said.

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