Bawku Boils as Residents Applaud Dramatic Police Crackdown — Re-Arrest of ‘BALUUSE’ Ignites Calls for Special Tribunal

Tension, relief, fear, and raw hope collided in the troubled township of Bawku on Monday morning after news broke that security forces had re-arrested a notorious suspect linked to the killing of police officers, a development residents describe as both “long overdue” and “dangerously explosive.”
In a strongly worded letter to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), a local resident identified as Owula Mangortey painted a vivid picture of a community living on the knife’s edge, exhausted by violence yet electrified by what many now see as the most decisive policing operation in years.
At the center of the storm is Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu, widely known by the alias “Baluuse,” who was seized in the regional capital, Bolgatanga, in what security insiders describe as a tightly coordinated intelligence operation.
Police say the suspect and his accomplices are wanted in connection with the brutal killing of three officers, a crime that shocked the nation and exposed the deadly reach of armed groups operating within the conflict zone.
But it is not merely the arrest that has stirred emotions. It is the fact that this is a re-arrest.

“WHY WAS HE FREE IN THE FIRST PLACE?”

That single question now echoes across homes, markets, mosques, and drinking spots throughout the volatile enclave.
According to Mangortey, many residents believe the suspect had previously been arrested over conflict-related crimes but was granted bail, a decision that has deepened public mistrust in the justice system.
“Our checks, though unconfirmed, indicate he was released earlier,” the letter stated, capturing a sentiment widely shared on the ground. “This is why people have problems with the courts in handling Bawku cases.”
The implication is explosive: dangerous suspects allegedly walk free, only to return emboldened, sometimes targeting the very officers who arrested them.
Security analysts warn this cycle has created what one officer described off the record as “a revolving door of violence.”

SLEEP RETURNS FOR NOW

Ironically, the dramatic arrest came amid worsening living conditions.
Residents are battling erratic water supply after Ghana Water Company Limited reportedly reduced operations to just two functioning wells out of nine. Power outages have also plunged neighborhoods into darkness.
Yet Mangortey says something remarkable happened despite the hardships:
For the first time in weeks, people slept without the sound of gunfire.
“In South and North Natinga, residents say the night passed quietly,” the letter noted. “Even during a total blackout three days ago, there were no gunshots.”
For a town accustomed to nocturnal terror, silence has become the loudest sign of progress.

DRONES, CRACK TEAMS, AND DEEP PENETRATION

Residents attribute the sudden calm to the arrival of elite security operatives from Accra, armed with surveillance drones and advanced intelligence capabilities.
Mangortey described the operation as “penetrative,” saying forces moved into previously inaccessible strongholds belonging to rival factions.
Sources confirm that the deployment spans across the wider Upper East Region, signaling a coordinated strategy rather than a symbolic show of force.
“This is not routine policing,” a security official said. “This is stabilization.”

INTER-ETHNIC DIALOGUE GAINS MOMENTUM

Alongside military-style operations, peace efforts appear to be quietly unfolding.
Mangortey praised the police for facilitating a visit by a Konkomba community figure, Mr. Jawuul, who met leaders from both Kusasi and Mamprusi groups, the rival communities at the heart of the protracted conflict.

Youth organizations across Northern Ghana are also reportedly forming a united front aimed at persuading combatants to lay down their arms.
Observers say this dual strategy, force and dialogue may be the most comprehensive attempt yet to restore order.

SHADOW OF “POWERFUL INTERESTS”

Perhaps the most disturbing claim in the letter concerns alleged interference in the justice process.
Mangortey suggested that “powerful conflict entrepreneurs and saboteurs” often pressure authorities to secure the release of suspects.
Though unverified, the allegation resonates strongly with residents who say arrests frequently fail to produce convictions.
In colorful local language, the writer compared the legal system to “a Fafra ass”, implying stubbornness or ineffectiveness, and accusing courts of granting bail in the name of “human rights,” only for suspects to return to violence.

TRANSFER TO ACCRA: A CRUCIAL DECISION

Reports that the suspect has been moved out of Bawku to Accra have been widely welcomed.
Residents believe trying high-risk suspects locally exposes judges, witnesses, and officers to intimidation.
Mangortey praised the IGP for the “swift directive” to relocate the detainee, describing it as a sign of serious intent.
Security sources confirm that keeping such suspects within the conflict zone can trigger rescue attempts or retaliatory attacks.

DEMAND FOR A SPECIAL TRIBUNAL

The letter’s most urgent recommendation is the establishment of a special public tribunal dedicated to Bawku-related crimes.
Residents argue that conventional courts are too slow, too vulnerable, or too detached from the realities on the ground.
They want a fast-track system capable of delivering swift and transparent justice, not merely arrests that fade into silence.
“People need proof that the law works,” Mangortey wrote, urging the IGP, the Attorney-General, and the Chief Justice to act.

A HIGH-STAKES VISIT LOOMS

Anticipation is now building for the next visit of the police chief alongside Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed, a trip residents hope will consolidate the fragile calm.
But beneath the cautious optimism lies a stark warning:
If the suspect is released again, the consequences could be catastrophic.

A COMMUNITY HOLDING ITS BREATH

For now, Bawku exists in a rare moment of uneasy quiet, not peace, but pause.
Gunfire has subsided. Security patrols have intensified. Fear has not disappeared, only retreated into doorways and whispered conversations.
Mangortey closed his message with a promise that sounded less like civic engagement and more like a watchful vigil:
“I shall return.”

In Bawku, everyone is waiting to see what happens next.

Source :Owula Mangortey