Some unknown gunmen have stormed a popular drinking spot at the CEPS Barrier at Zebilla in the Bawku West district of the Upper East region, shooting one dead, injuring two others.
The incident that killed a livestock farmer, Osman Mbilla, occurred at about 8:30pm Monday night, October 23, 2023.
According to a source, Osman was seen at the Bolgatanga station at Zebilla, located across the road minutes before the attack. His attackers are believed to have trailed him to the pub.
An eyewitness has who spoke to Zebilla-based Zebs FM after the incident said: “We were on the pavement in front of the spot when we heard the gunshots. We took to our heels and regrouped after about 10 minutes when the firing stopped. It was then we realised that someone was shot.”
The unidentified gunmen are believed to have entered the premises from the rare end and fled through the same route given that the area is usually busy at night.
When calm was restored, Osman was rushed to the Zebilla District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
It is reported that some irate youth of the Aramkolga community upon hearing the news stormed the drinking spot where the incident happened in an attempt to set it ablaze.
Given the close proximity of the drinking spot to the CEPS and GIS installations, officers on duty fired some warning shots to disperse the charging crowd to save property.
It’s reported that some residents, upon hearing the warning shots, also shot sporadically. This created some moments of intense shooting, which lasted about 30 minutes around the CEPS Barrier and reverberated across the Zebilla township, disturbing the free flow of traffic, creating fear and panic among residents.
In the process, two young men, including a son of the deceased, Rauf, were injured and are being treated at the Zebilla District Hospital.
Over the weekend, social media platforms, especially WhatsApp, were replete with claims that a spillover of the Bawku conflict in Bazua and Zebilla were imminent.
On Sunday, it was reported that an intense gun battle broke out at Bazua at about 7:40pm without a record of casualty. The motive of the Zebilla incident is unclear at this moment.
