Fear and panic gripped residents of Garu in the Upper East Region on Monday morning when some gunmen launched a deadly daylight attack that left four people dead and several others injured.
The shocking incident, which occurred around 10am, sent many residents fleeing the town.
Gunshots echoed across parts of the township, particularly around the district office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
How it began
According to some eyewitnesses, four armed men on two motorbikes stormed the Garu district office of the NHIA and opened fire indiscriminately.
Two of the assailants were wearing smocks and helmets, while the other two wore face masks, to conceal their identity.
Two people were shot dead on the spot, one inside the office of the district NHIA, who is said to be a staff of the office, and another man at the premises of the office.
“Around 10am there about, 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.
Two people were shot, one person was shot inside the office and another outside the office,” former Presiding Member of the Garu District Assembly and now Assembly Member for Kugri, Edward Ndebugri, told Graphic Online.
Teacher and chief among the dead
The gunmen continued their attack beyond the health insurance office, targeting bystanders and fleeing residents, including teachers and pupils, which led to the death of a headteacher and a local chief.
They reportedly did not take anything from the NHIA office.
“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,” the Assembly Member for the area recounted.
The said teacher was later identified as the headteacher of the Garu G/A Primary School.
The gunmen, on their way out from the school premises, chanced upon a man who was heading to the market and also shot him dead. He was later identified as a chief of a local community.
The gunmen reportedly seized a new motorbike from one of their victims before escaping.
Attackers flee through town
Eyewitnesses said after the shooting spree, the gunmen fled through the Garu Presbyterian Hospital area, passed by the Garu Catholic Junior High School, and sped off toward the Kugri/Songo road. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Security reinforced in Garu
As of 2 p.m. on Monday, security had been tightened in Garu, with heavily armed police and military personnel patrolling key areas, including the District Health Insurance Office and the Presbyterian Hospital.
“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.
Residents have since called for calm but urged authorities to enhance security presence and investigate the motive behind the brutal attack.
Hospital sources confirmed that the death of the four people, while several others were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the Garu Presbyterian Hospital.