A female student of Bimbilla SHS, identified as Abukar Fatimata has been killed during fire festival procession within the Nanumba North Municipality of the Northern Region.
The 18-year-old student was hit by bullets in her head during a fire festival procession in Bimbilla.
The deceased was part of a procession going to Wampu, to throw away their flaming torch as part of the fire festival celebration.
Reports indicate that an unidentified man wielding a locally manufactured single barrel gun mistakenly pulled the trigger hitting the girl in the head and killing her instantly.
Police were immediately called and the body was conveyed to the Bimbilla hospital morgue.
The source of the shot remains unknown.
Firing of live ammunitions during the fire festival has received several criticisms as casualties are recorded every year.
This year, the king of Dagbon, Ndan Ya-Na Abukari, placed a ban on the celebration of the festival in the greater Tamale Metropolis and Sagnerigu Municipality.
The girl has since been buried in accordance with Muslim tradition.
The tragic incident comes just days after the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons cautioned citizens—particularly in the northern regions—to avoid the use of small arms during the Fire Festival.
In a statement signed by Acting Executive Secretary, Dr. Adam Bonaa, the Commission reminded the public that:
Firearms are not toys, and their misuse endangers lives.
Unauthorized possession and firing of guns is illegal and punishable by law.
The spirit of the Fire Festival should be upheld without violence.
“The reckless use of firearms during celebrations poses grave risks, including accidental shootings, injuries, and fatalities,” the statement warned.