Upper West: Five police officers assaulted, AK-47 rifles stolen by mob in Saawie

A routine peace mission in the Saawie community of the Jirapa Municipality escalated into one of the most violent confrontations between civilians and police in the Upper West Region in recent years.

What began as an attempt by authorities to mediate growing tensions between residents and Fulani herdsmen turned into a brutal attack on law enforcement, leaving five officers seriously injured and several service weapons seized.  

The incident forms part of a troubling pattern of rising community-police hostilities in the region.

For years, conflicts involving pastoralists, landowners, and local youth have fueled suspicion, violence and occasional breakdown in dialogue. Police interventions, often intended to restore calm, have sometimes been met with resistance, but last Friday’s assault marks a dangerous escalation—one that the Regional Command describes as “an attack on the State.”

According to police sources, the trouble began when a complaint reached the Jirapa Municipal Police Command around 15:40 GMT on Friday.

Reports indicated that a group of residents in Saawie were allegedly threatening to burn down properties belonging to Fulani herdsmen.

Given the long-standing tensions between indigenous farming communities and nomadic herders, the police saw the threat as serious enough to warrant immediate intervention.

ASP George Doe, the Municipal Commander, led a team of four officers to the community to engage leaders and help de-escalate the situation.

The approach, according to police, was aimed at dialogue rather than force. But upon arrival, what was expected to be a discussion quickly turned into chaos.

Approximately 30 community members reportedly confronted the officers, launching a violent attack that left all five policemen injured.

In the midst of the assault, the attackers forcibly seized three AK-47 rifles and one service pistol—an unprecedented breach of state security in the municipality.

The gravity of the incident prompted swift action. Regional Commander DCOP Francis Yiribaare immediately mobilized rapid-response personnel from Jirapa, Wa, Nandom, Nadowli and Lawra to the scene.

The reinforcement team rescued the wounded officers, transporting them to St. Joseph Hospital in Jirapa

Some injured officers, police said, had to rely on public support to reach the facility.

A search operation across the community led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle (without a magazine) and the stolen pistol.

However, two AK-47 rifles and one magazine remain missing, heightening security concerns as police warn the weapons could be used to commit further crimes.

In a sweep across Saawie, nine suspects were arrested—many found hiding under beds or attempting to flee the area.

The police also retrieved several items abandoned by suspects, including three locally manufactured guns, two motorbikes, a tricycle, three deep freezers and a tabletop fridge, all of which were taken to the Wa Regional Police Headquarters as investigations deepen.

Following the arrests, the Regional Commander held a stern meeting with the chief and assembly member of Saawie. DCOP Yiribaare is said to have impressed upon them the seriousness of the attack and ordered that the remaining rifles and magazine be produced within 24 hours.

Later, the police leadership visited the injured officers at St. Joseph Hospital. Hospital authorities confirmed that all five officers were responding well to treatment.