The Circuit Court 11 in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah, has remanded seven persons, including two minors, for their alleged involvement in gun violence at Bawku in the Upper East Region.
The accused persons — Atinaire Adongo (28), Anadine Joe (32), Akelimbona Emmanuel (28), Nsor Baba (19), Isaac, Paul (16), and Ayine Ayinebisa (14) — are facing two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and discharging guns in town, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 29 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to the brief facts before the court, the complainants, who are military personnel deployed for peace enforcement operations within the Bawku Municipality, heard gunshots on October 24, 2025 around 7:00 p.m. at Punyumuri in the Binduri District. The soldiers traced the sound to an uncompleted building where the accused persons were allegedly found.
A search conducted at the scene reportedly uncovered an AK-47 assault rifle, a Bruni pistol, 323 assorted rounds of ammunition and a body armoured plate.
The accused, however, denied any involvement, claiming they were masons from Bolgatanga working on a school construction site at Punyumuri.
They maintained that they were arrested after being unable to flee when gunshots rang out because they were unfamiliar with the area.
During proceedings, DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye, the prosecutor, explained that the accused were brought to Accra to assist in ongoing investigations.
He prayed the court to remand them to allow investigators to conclude their work without taking their plea.
Defence Counsel Juliet Dale Agboh, representing all seven accused persons, opposed the application, describing the continued detention as “unfortunate and unlawful.”
She argued that the accused had been held since Saturday, far beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit and that the prosecution could have completed any necessary inquiries before arraignment.
She also told the court that the two minors among them had been brutally assaulted by the military during their arrest and had not been allowed to bathe since Saturday.
“The physical assault inflicted on them has affected their physical and emotional wellbeing,” she added, urging the court to discharge the accused so they could return home and be rearrested later if necessary.
In response, the prosecutor dismissed the allegations of assault as “fabrications and untruths,” insisting that none of the accused had reported any mistreatment after being handed over to the police on Sunday afternoon.
He added that the accused were charged with offences that allowed for temporary detention pending investigations.
After hearing both sides, Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah granted the prosecution’s request and ordered the remand of all seven accused persons into police custody until Monday, November 3, 2025 to allow for the completion of investigations.
The court further directed that the two minors be placed in the custody of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) until the next court sitting.
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