The Gyaman Baapanyin of Bepotenten Sukuum, Nana Akosua Boakyewaa, has raised alarm over the increasing proliferation of firearms and violent activities among youth in the community and its surrounding areas, following the recent attack on officers of the Jacobu Police Command.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Nana Boakyewaa said the worsening security situation cannot be blamed solely on outsiders, stressing that some indigenes are actively complicit in the acts of violence.
“I can’t blame only foreigners because they cannot operate without the help of an indigene. I will be lying if I say some of the young men in the community don’t have guns and play with them anyhow,” she stated.
According to her, some youth openly brandish weapons, intimidate residents and mount illegal roadblocks, extorting money from unsuspecting commuters.
“I have seen what they can do. Some of them attack people, demanding money from them and mounting roadblocks. I cannot outrightly say the youth in Bepotenten, Sukuum and its environs are not part of it,” she said.
Nana Akosua Boakyewaa further revealed troubling practices among certain groups who seek spiritual protection before engaging in violent acts. She explained that some youth visit native doctors for charms believed to protect them from gunshots and cutlass attacks, after which they attempt to test the effectiveness of such charms.
“Sometimes when excavators are coming into town, a lot of them have gone to native doctors who prepare charms against gunshots and cutlass attacks, and they try to prove the efficacy of what they have received,” she noted.
She cited recent deadly incidents in neighbouring communities, including Ntontom, where a young man reportedly died while testing a supposed bullet-proof charm. In another case, a cutlass challenge resulted in a fatality, with investigations ongoing at the Jacobu Police Station.
“In Ntontom a few weeks ago, they were challenging themselves with weapons and one died while testing a bullet-proof charm. Another group also used cutlasses and someone lost his life. The case is still at the Jacobu Police Station,” she disclosed.
The Gyaman Baapanyin warned that the growing boldness of armed youth has left even traditional leaders feeling unsafe.
“We the elders are even afraid for our lives because if you don’t take care, they may trail you and gun you down,” she said.
She appealed to the government and security agencies to urgently intervene by establishing a police station in the area and intensifying patrols to curb the spread of illegal weapons and criminal activities.
“We will appeal to the government for a police station and heightened security,” Nana Akosua Boakyewaa added.
Her comments come amid rising tension following the attack on Jacobu Police officers, reigniting calls for decisive action to restore peace and safeguard lives in Bepotenten, Sukuum and neighbouring communities.
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