Irate youth wielding sticks and cutlasses burst into the Sawla police station in the Northern region Wednesday night, attacked police officers and threatened to burn the building after a local executive of the ruling NPP was arrested and taken into custody following a confrontation with an officer over a woman.
Residents said Adamu Sakara (SK), the NPP Youth Organizer in the constituency was picked up for allegedly attacking a police officer at his private residence having suspected the office was in an amorous relationship with his fiancée.
The officer who was also attacked by a section of the youth was sent to the Bole Government Hospital for medical treatment
The local assembly representative for Sawla East where the police station is located, Yakubu Issahaku said the lady caught allegedly sleeping with the officer is a community police recruit working in the charge office.
According to the assemblyman, the officer managed to call for help and about a dozen armed officers came to his rescue. The NPP Youth Organizer was later arrested and put behind bars but a few moments later, the youth regrouped and attacked the police station to free Sakara from lawful custody.
An eyewitness who filmed the attack said the angry youth, scores of them, were members of the NPP and armed. The youth pelted stones at the officers at the station before the situation was brought under control following the firing of warning shots.
However, The Sawla/Tuna/Kalba district police commander, ASP O.K Boateng confirmed the attack but described it as “a small skirmish†which did not escalate.
He declined to elaborate, saying he needed to report the incident to the regional commander before speaking to the press.