Gunmen on Tuesday, December 16, opened fire on a bus travelling from Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region to the Ashanti Region’s capital, Kumasi, inflicting serious injuries on the driver and a passenger.

The victims are receiving medical attention at the Walewale Hospital. The bus is reportedly operated by Great Imperial Express and bears the registration number GY 3199-21. The cause of the attack is yet to be known, but it is rumoured to be connected to local disputes in the area.

Meanwhile, police have initiated a probe into the incident to bring the perpetrators to book. The Upper East Region has recorded a number of gun attacks this year. The Binduri District of the region was previously thrown into mourning following a shooting incident that resulted in the death of three individuals and left five others injured.

According to reports, gunmen invaded the residence of the victims on Sunday, October 26, and shot them. Among the three deceased was a five-year-old child who died instantly. The Manager of Binduri-based Maxx Empire Radio and TV, George Bukari, is reported to be among those who sustained injuries in the incident.

The attack has been linked to the long-running Bawku conflict. The conflict, which resurfaced in 2021, has claimed multiple lives and displaced several families. However, the government has initiated efforts to restore calm in the area. In July this year, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) deployed soldiers to conflict-prone areas, including Bawku, Binduri, Nalerigu, and Zebilla.

This update comes less than a week after four individuals lost their lives in a deadly daylight attack at the district office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the region. The incident also left several others injured. The deceased included a bystander, an NHIA staff member, a mentally unstable man, and Yahaya Bukari, headmaster of Garu D/A Junior High School.

According to eyewitness accounts, the Garu District Office of the NHIA was invaded by four armed men on two motorbikes, who subsequently fired shots indiscriminately. Two of the gunmen are said to have worn masks.

“Around 10 a.m. thereabout, we heard gunshots. Initially, we thought it was coming from the rural bank area, but later we found out that the attackers had gone to the health insurance office,” a witness stated.

Speaking to the media, the former Presiding Member of the Garu District Assembly and current Assembly Member for Kugri, Edward Ndebugri, recounted that the gunmen later targeted bystanders and fleeing residents.

“There is a public school close to the health insurance office, and when the shooting started, the teachers and pupils began running helter-skelter. The gunmen chased them in the direction they fled, and when one of the teachers fell, they shot him dead,” he added.

The assailants reportedly left the NHIA office with nothing. In response, heavily armed police and military personnel thronged key areas, including the District Health Insurance Office and the Presbyterian Hospital, as of 2 p.m. on Monday.

“The whole town is in shock. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident. People are living in fear, and we are pleading with the security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Assembly Member for Kugri appealed.

The injured are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the Garu Presbyterian Hospital. Meanwhile, police have launched investigations to determine the motive behind the attack.

Earlier this month, an armed attack at the Gbintri inland checkpoint in the East Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region reportedly left an Assistant Immigration Control Officer II (AICOII), Rafiq Mohammed, dead, while another officer, AICOII Oppong Daniel, sustained injuries.

While details of the attack remain unclear, reports suggest it occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, October 3. AK-47 shell casings used by the attackers were retrieved by a joint response team led by Superintendent Francis Brobbey, Gambaga Municipal Police Commander, and DIS Moro Tanko Mohammed, North Regional Intelligence Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service.

Meanwhile, AICOII Oppong Daniel is receiving treatment at the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

In July this year, the lifeless body of an immigration officer identified as Stephen King Amoah, also known as Nana Kofi, was discovered in a drainage system near GBC Satellite, opposite Comet Estate, Accra.

The deceased had reportedly gone missing for five days before his death. This was contained in a press statement issued by the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, July 10. Police disclosed that the perpetrators also set the body of the 38-year-old on fire.

The remains were conveyed to the Police Hospital morgue after relatives positively identified the body.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased had gone to meet his debtor, Bright Aweh, who had promised to settle an outstanding debt on Thursday, July 3. However, he never returned home, and his phone remained switched off, raising concerns among family members.

"Investigations revealed that on 3rd July 2025, at about 8:00 p.m., the deceased left his residence at Ashongman Estate after receiving WhatsApp images of cash bundles from one Bright Aweh, who requested to meet him at a spot at Ashongman Estate to settle an outstanding amount.

"According to the complainant, the deceased never returned home that night, and his phone remained switched off thereafter," the police said.

Bright Aweh was arrested to assist with investigations. He admitted meeting the deceased and claimed he handed over GHS500,000, instructing him “to use part of the money to pay off some debts and hold the remaining amount for later collection.”

However, police noted that “the suspect could not clearly explain the source of the funds and gave conflicting statements.”

Subsequently, police announced the arrest of the prime suspect in the murder on August 4. During a press briefing, the Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, disclosed that bloodstains were found at the suspect’s residence, including on a burnt carpet and a fufu pestle believed to have been used in the murder.

“The Ghana Police Service wishes to assure the public that investigations are ongoing and every effort is being made to ensure that all perpetrators are prosecuted,” she added.