Military, Police clashes: Northern Regional Minister has failed – Major Derrick Oduro

The deputy Defence Minister Major Derrick Oduro has blamed the clashes between the military and the Police in the Northern region on the failure of the regional minister Salifu Saeed.

According to Major Oduro, the regional minister, who is the head of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) must take blame for a breakdown of security in the region and step aside.

At least eight police officers were left injured and undergoing treatment at the police clinic after some soldiers, said to be protesting the arrest of their colleague, invaded the city with three military vans and carried out a targeted assault on policemen.

The soldiers according to Starr News’ Northern regional correspondent Eliasu Tanko moved from one police post to another unleashing fury on their security counterparts, beating them with guns, sticks and canes, for arresting a military officer who was facing an assault allegation by a taxi driver who he (soldier) manhandled mercilessly after a small misunderstanding.

The development compelled the police to withdraw and abandon their posts and retreated to the regional police headquarters where the two security agencies exchanged gunfire in the presence of top security officers including the outgoing regional commander.

The Regional Executive Security Council (REGSEC) led by Salifu Saeed was forced into an emergency meeting in a proactive measure to quell further clashes.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Salifu Saeed while urging for calm, blamed the incident on “leadership failure” on the part of the police and army commanders.

“It was a leadership failure and their commanders”, Salifu said. “You know these young security officers some of them haven’t seen serious war so they are being looked for an opportunity to flex muscles”

But speaking on Morning Starr Thursday, the deputy defence minister said the regional must rather take responsibility of the security breakdown and not blame it on others.

“This is not the first time the clash is happening but this time round, there must be proper investigations and the matter dealt with. Salifu Saeed is the security boss in the northern region and if he thinks the clash is as a result of leadership failure, then we can say He (Salifu Saeed) has failed,” Major Oduro told host Francis Abban.

Major Oduro added “This time, we will investigate the matter properly, apportion blame and punish the culprits. We wouldn’t want to see this act showing its ugly head again. Salifu Saeed is the best man to answer why the leadership failed. The clash is shouldn’t happen at all.”

This is the third time there has been such an attack against the police by soldiers.