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Ghana's electoral violence sees death toll surge to 3
Ghana's electoral violence sees death toll surge to 3
By: Nii Ammui Fio | 2 mins read
Violence during Ghana's 2024 general elections has claimed three lives and left several others injured, raising fresh concerns about the safety and security of the electoral process.
The most recent incident occurred on December 8 at the West Gonja Municipal Electoral Commission collation centre in Damongo, where 35-year-old Mukila Ziblim was killed by a stray bullet.
The attack began when youth believed to be affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stormed the centre, vandalizing electoral materials including laptops, pink sheets, ballot boxes, and papers. They further set the Commission’s storeroom ablaze, destroying valuable documents.
In an attempt to restore order, police reportedly opened live fire on the crowd, striking Mukila Ziblim in the chest. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries within an hour. His body has since been deposited at the morgue.
Elsewhere in the Northern Region, a violent clash between supporters of the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Nyankpala resulted in the death of one person and injuries to another. The police have arrested four suspects—Majid Issah, Fodi Issiage Kamara, Yakubu Simalia, and Alhaji Bashiru Mohamed—who are assisting with investigations.
In the Central Region, another fatal shooting occurred in the Awutu Senya East constituency, where one NDC supporter was killed, and another critically injured. Reports suggest the victims were attacked by unidentified assailants in a V8 vehicle after leaving a vote collation centre. The attack followed a declaration by the NDC Parliamentary Candidate, Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, that she had won the election.
The police have since arrested four suspects—Awudu Yakubu, Kwabena Essah, Hakeem Bawa, and Issaka Mashual—and recovered an AK-47 rifle with 69 rounds of ammunition. The suspects are expected to be arraigned before court to face justice.
The swift response by the Ghana Police Service has been commended, but stakeholders, including the National Peace Council, have expressed deep concerns about the recurring violence during elections. The Council also called on the police to restore public confidence by addressing unresolved cases from the 2020 general elections, during which eight lives were lost to electoral violence.
