The Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA) has raised an alarm about what they claim are instances of extrajudicial killings of persons from the Mamprusi ethnic grouping and, therefore, demand of the President to order an independent probe.
In a statement, the association claimed that “there is a troubling pattern of abuse in which state institutions, especially the Ghana Police Service, are being used to conduct extrajudicial killings of Mamprusis in Bolgatanga.”
According to the MAYA, on February 17, 2026, one Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu was arrested alongside his two siblings in Bolgatanga, a development which “the Ghana Police Service described as a breakthrough in investigations into the Karimenga barrier attack of December 29, 2025, in which a police officer was killed.”
He was publicly reported to be in custody assisting investigations as of February 18, 2026, the association said. “His siblings were granted bail, while he was reportedly transferred to the National Police Headquarters in Accra. The family engaged the services of a lawyer before the police confirmed that the suspect was murdered under their custody with vague excuses.”
In yet another incident, arrests were made in Zuarungu followed by extrajudicial killings of some Mamprusis by officers of the Upper East Regional Police Command, they alleged.
“The police claimed in a statement that the operation was part of an intelligence-led effort to dismantle a robbery gang, but the family finds this account inconsistent, and misleading, in an attempt to cover-up their wrongdoing and the murder they committed. Key Facts Established by the Family: On the day of arrest (Thursday, April 30, 2026), ten (10) individuals were arrested at this very residence we are gathered in while seated on this very space we are holding this press conference. All were transported to the Zuarungu Police Station. Family members and eyewitnesses who visited the police station in the night of the arrest and the following morning confirm that all detainees were alive, healthy, and without visible injuries from the arrest. Out of the ten (10) arrested, four (4) detainees were granted police enquiry bail and released. One of the suspects, Samsudeen Mohammed, was alleged to have stolen a motorbike and was taken away for interrogation. Later around 9:30 a.m., Thursday, April 30, Seidu Safianu was also taken out of police cells for interrogation. The remaining four (4) suspects were still held at the police cells to “assist investigations.” Subsequently, two (2) of the detainees namely Samsudeen Mohammed and Seidu Safianu who had earlier been visited and seen by eyewitnesses in good condition were later reported dead from alleged gunshot injuries.
“Many of us gathered here personally visited the detainees at the Zuarungu Police Station and saw them alive, healthy, and without any visible injuries following their arrest. It is therefore shocking and deeply distressing to read a police statement issued on May 1, 2026 claiming that two suspects, Samsudeen Mohammed and Seidu Safianu, now deceased, sustained gunshot injuries during the operation,” MAYA said.
“We therefore demand that President John Dramani Mahama establishes an independent commission of enquiry to investigate the subject-matter,” MAYA added.
