Member of Parliament for Walewale, Dr Mahama Tiah Abdul-Kabiru
The Member of Parliament for Walewale, Dr Mahama Tiah Abdul-Kabiru, has condemned what he describes as an unprovoked assault on a journalist and several civilians by military personnel in the Walewale township.
In a statement on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the MP said the incident occurred around 1:00pm on Monday, January 26, when armed soldiers travelling in an armoured vehicle and a truck from Bolgatanga to Tamale reportedly stopped in Walewale and attacked residents.
“They assaulted the Northeast Regional Correspondent of Media General and scores of other innocent civilians and destroyed properties on the spot, including motorbikes and commercial vehicles belonging to the people,” Dr Abdul-Kabiru stated.
He described the conduct of the soldiers as “barbaric, unprofessional and infantile,” noting that the incident has left residents living in fear.
According to the MP, the journalist was detained for over four hours following the assault, and video evidence showing injuries sustained during the incident was allegedly deleted from his phone.
“In the case of the reporter for Media General, he was detained for more than four hours after being assaulted, and evidence of harm caused to his body, which he had taken with his phone, was destroyed,” the statement said.
Dr Abdul-Kabiru said checks with both the Walewale District Police Command and military authorities stationed in the area indicated that neither institution was aware of or involved in the operation.
The MP noted that this was not the first time such an incident had occurred, recalling a similar assault in February 2025 involving the same journalist, two other journalists, and several civilians—some of whom, he said, were left permanently injured without compensation.
He expressed concern about what he described as the growing militarisation of civilian spaces in Walewale and warned that continued brutality could escalate tensions between residents and the security services.
“It is troubling and near-rampant that the military is now turning Walewale and its environs into a jungle where they unleash their unrefined atrocities on innocent civilians without remorse, conscience, or regard for professionalism,” he said.
Dr Abdul-Kabiru also dismissed claims that the recent military actions were linked to attacks on buses in the area, describing such explanations as misleading.
He called on the Acting Minister for Defence to urgently investigate the incident and ensure accountability.
