The government has imposed a curfew on Hamile Township and its surrounding communities in the Lambussie District of the Upper West Region following an explosion that claimed the lives of an Immigration officer and two civilians.
The curfew takes immediate effect and requires residents to remain indoors between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Tuesday, November 3, the Ministry of the Interior said the restriction was imposed on the advice of the National Security Council through an Executive Instrument.
The government has also prohibited the possession of firearms, ammunition and other offensive weapons within the affected communities.
The Ministry warned that anyone who violates the restrictions would be arrested and prosecuted.
The measures follow an explosion involving a motor tricycle suspected to have been transporting explosives. The blast killed an Immigration officer and two civilians, while another officer sustained critical injuries.
Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred during a patrol operation near the Ghana-Burkina Faso border, when Immigration officers spotted three suspected smugglers allegedly moving goods towards Burkina Faso.
The group reportedly consisted of two teenagers travelling on a motor tricycle and an elderly man riding a motorbike ahead of them.
The officers reportedly pursued the suspects, and during the chase, gunfire struck items believed to be explosives on the tricycle, triggering a powerful explosion.
The blast is said to have killed one of the teenagers and an Immigration officer instantly.
A second officer sustained critical injuries, while the elderly suspect also suffered serious injuries. Both were subsequently rushed to Nandom Hospital for medical attention.
