Interior Ministry reduces Hamile curfew to six hours

The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has adjusted the daily curfew in the Hamile township and surrounding communities in the Lambussie District, reducing the restriction from 11 hours to six hours. Effective Thursday, November 5, 2026, the new curfew hours are set from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. This decision follows a security review by the National Security Council after a fatal explosion on November 3 that claimed three lives and sparked local unrest in the Upper West Region.

The initial curfew, which ran from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., was imposed following a border patrol incident involving a suspected dynamite explosion. The blast killed a Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officer and two civilians near the Ghana-Burkina Faso border. The incident triggered significant tension in the community, leading to clashes between local youth and security forces after reports emerged that residents had been shot at by personnel during the ensuing chaos.

Professor Titus K. Beyuo, the Member of Parliament for Lambussie, has stepped in to support residents affected by the violence. He announced that he would cover the medical expenses for 12 individuals injured during the clashes with security forces. Among those being treated, two require surgery while ten others are reported to be in stable condition. Prof. Beyuo, while acknowledging the initial need for the curfew to prevent further violence, has appealed to the government to consider a complete withdrawal of the restrictions, noting that peace and normalcy have largely returned to the area.

Despite the reduction in hours, the Ministry of the Interior has maintained a total ban on the possession of firearms and offensive weapons in the Hamile township and its environs. The Ministry warned that any person found with such items would be arrested and prosecuted. Government officials have urged community leaders and residents to exercise restraint and use peaceful channels to address their grievances to ensure long-term stability and cooperation between the security agencies and the local population.