Four people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following an attack by unidentified gunmen at the Garu District National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) office in the Upper East Region.
According to eyewitness accounts, four assailants riding on two motorbikes stormed the NHIA office and opened fire indiscriminately, killing two people instantly.
One of the deceased, an NHIA staff member, was reportedly shot inside the office, while another unidentified man was gunned down outside the premises.
The attackers, after the initial shooting, allegedly continued firing as they fled the scene, targeting bystanders, teachers, and pupils of a nearby basic school.
In the chaos, the headteacher of Garu D/A Primary School and a local chief were also shot and killed, increasing the death toll to four.
The gunmen are said to have seized a new motorbike from one of their victims before escaping.
Several injured persons are currently receiving treatment at nearby health facilities, while the incident has thrown the entire Garu township into fear and panic.
Mr. Edward Ndebugri, former Presiding Member of the Garu District Assembly and current Assembly Member for Kugri, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), stating that the community remains uncertain about the motive behind the attack.
“The whole town is in shock. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident. People are living in fear, and we are pleading with the security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.
The security personnel have since increased in numbers in the area with heavily armed police and military personnel patrolling key locations, including the District NHIA Office and the Presbyterian Hospital and calm has since been restored.
The security services in the area have since launched an investigation into the matter.
The residents have appealed for calm and urged the government and security agencies to intensify investigations and strengthen security in the area to prevent a recurrence.
Credit: GNA
