Witnesses claim the soldiers ordered people to lie face down before beating them with wire cans, while others were forced to roll on the ground and tortured with an object described as mesh wire.

Many victims suffered severe lacerations and fractures, with at least two receiving treatment from a traditional bone specialist.

The motive behind the rampage remains unclear, though a police source linked it to the recent burning of a truck transporting vegetables from Missiga to Kumasi, allegedly tied to the ongoing Bawku conflict.

Victims recounted harrowing experiences, stating that soldiers in armoured vehicles raided shops and gathering spots, forcing people to the ground and assaulting them with wire cans and gun butts.

Even workers at their shops and a group of NDC supporters resting in a pavilion were reportedly brutalised.

“I still don’t know why they beat me,” said a 34-year-old motorbike mechanic who, along with his customers, was attacked while working.

A 67-year-old NDC supporter accused the military commander of ordering the operation based on false allegations, denying any involvement in the arson attack on the truck.

He called on NDC leadership in the region to intervene and demand an investigation into the soldiers’ actions.

The incident has left the town reeling, with calls for accountability and justice for the victims growing louder.

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Garu Member of Parliament (MP), Albert Alalzuulga disclosed this in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM.

Though the MP didn’t give much details about the circumstances leading to the death, he said the entire community is devastated.

“It is sad to announce to you that one of the military brutality victims in Garu has died. It is a very sad development. The youth and everybody in the area are so saddened. We are so disappointed in the military and their actions,” he bemoaned.

Mr Alalzuulga also confirmed the release of eight residents who were detained, indicating some are undergoing medical care.

“We are disappointed in the government as well. What happened in Garu is most barbaric; it is most unfortunate. The residents who were arrested earlier were released on Friday. While some are home safely, others had to be taken to medical facilities due to their conditions,” he stated.

The MP reiterated the need for the victims to be compensated amidst the threat to initiate legal action over the barbaric act.

“We are already calling on the government to compensate the victims, and if possible, we may have to take legal action. I don’t think that the treatment of the people of Garu was fair. I think the government needs to address this.

The military is taking Ghanaians for granted. It is our tax that has bought the uniforms they are wearing. It is our tax that has bought the vehicles and guns,” he fumed.

Over 50 people were hospitalised after brutalities meted out on residents by some military personnel at Garu residents last Sunday.

The military’s action is alleged to be a reprisal for an attack on five National Security operatives by a vigilante group in Garu.

Meanwhile, Parliament has summoned the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, to come and respond to questions over the incident.

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The military descended on the community and allegedly brutalised residents after claims that some National Security operatives were attacked.

Eight persons were subsequently arrested and detained for days with the MP for the area, Albert Akuka Alalzuuga claiming he had not been allowed to meet his constituents who were arrested.

Meanwhile, the youth of Garu and Tempane are demanding the immediate release of their colleagues who were arrested.

They threatened that public servants in the two communities would withdraw their services if their demands were not heeded.

This, they said would continue until the eight persons are released.

But according to Mr Afenyo-Markin, despite a court remanding the eight persons, the National Security is set to release them.

“I want to inform the House that steps have been taken to ensure that these gentlemen are released and taken back to Garu,” he assured.

According to him, the Upper East Regional Minister and other stakeholders from the region were given access to the detained persons.

The legislator added that upon a visit, “I found them to be in active spirit and in good spirit. In fact, they did not complain of any molestation, any abuse of their rights while in lawful custody at the National security cells.”

Mr Afenyo-Markin noted that, the House will be updated again when the eight persons arrested are finally released.

In response, the Minority in Parliament says they cannot confirm whether the eight persons’ rights were abused while held captive or not therefore they are waiting to hear from them.

“Indeed, if you are still in custody you can’t be complaining or say whatever you want to say when your captives are still there. Let’s hold on when they are out, we will find out whether they were maltreated or not,” Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza said.

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The Council and the Diocese in a statement have said the heavy-handedness of the military action threatens to undo years of cooperation between residents and security personnel in countering violent extremism in the area.

“These recent brutalities in Garu by the military have the grave potential of defeating the much-needed collaboration and mutual trust between the security personnel and the citizenry in dealing with the violent extremism that is knocking on our borders,” parts of the statement read.

The incident which occurred in the early hours of Sunday according to reports was a reprisal of an earlier attack by some residents on national security personnel deployed to the area on a counterterrorism mission.

Irate youth armed with machetes and AK 47 rifles reportedly chased the five national security personnel to the police station and besieged them till they were rescued by members of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The National Security Ministry has since explained was to retrieve the weapons and arrest the perpetrators.

But the group has called on the government to probe the incident and sanction those found culpable, while also assisting those who were injured in the raid and securing the safety of those arrested as well.

“Furthermore, we call on the Ministry of National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces to ensure that their approach to restore security and peace has a more professional touch and not the use of brutal force so that in the course of their work the dignity of the human person is always respected,” they advised.

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Over 50 people were hospitalized after some military personnel allegedly unleashed mayhem on the Garu residents over the weekend.

It is alleged that the military attack was in retaliation for an attack on some National Security operatives by a vigilante group in Garu.

In response to calls by Members of Parliament for an investigation into the matter, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament who chaired proceedings at the time the concern was raised in the House directed the National Security Minister to brief the legislators on the situation on November 9, 2023.

“At the moment, what I want to do is to invite the Minister to appear before the entire house, come and brief us. Probably what we are hearing is different from what the Minister has at his sleeves. So let us invite the Minister to appear before the house, he will come and brief the house, and we will take it on from there.

So I am asking that the Minister appear before the house on Thursday the 9th of November 2023 to brief the house concerning issues related to happenings at Garu and Tempane.”

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Personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces allegedly raided Garu on the dawn of October 28 in a quest to seize weapons that were allegedly used to attack National Security operatives on October 24.

Mr. Akuku said his constituents were unlawfully attacked, with some having Quran recitals at the time in the name of seizing weapons.

“It is true that on October 28, my residents were woken up from bed and were beaten mercilessly, and I am told some of the people were even in the mosque having Quranic recitals at the time, and they pounced on them and beat them mercilessly in the name of trying to retrieve weapons and I was talking to one of the commanders this evening to know if they actually got some weapons out of this, and he said yes.

“I was told that some of the people were forced to drink water from the gutter and you can imagine the health implications this may cause, and I will want to know who sanctioned this action” he said in an interview on Citi FM.

He further described the military’s actions as barbaric and demanded an apology from the military’s high command.

“This is an abuse of power, it is an abuse of the uniform, and I think that this must be investigated and those found culpable must be punished because these incidences are one too many and the action in Garu is uncalled for and it is barbaric and the military’s high command must apologise to the people of Garu and Ghana as a whole.

“Apart from calling for investigations, we will take this matter to CHRAJ to investigate it and call the military to order because this is not right and it is torture and an abuse of human rights and this is unacceptable and every Ghanaian must condemn it” he added.

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Additionally, she is demanding the payment of compensation and medical bills of the victims brutalised by the military.

Madam Adakudugu made these demands on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, stating same is expected of the Defence Ministry and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

This comes on the back of brutal attacks on some residents at Garu and Tempane, all in the Upper East region.

A joint military and national security force allegedly stormed the communities following an attack on five national security personnel deployed to the area on a counter-terrorism assignment.

According to the National Security Ministry, the operation was to retrieve the AK-47s the youth had fired at their personnel and to arrest the perpetrators.

But the MP has said the action must be condemned in no uncertain terms.

According to her, the military personnel could have acted more professionally in handling the situation.

The MP and her colleague at Garu, Albert Akuka, had earlier demanded a thorough investigation into the incident to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.

Meanwhile, over 50 residents have been hospitalised and scores have also fled the town following the incident.

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