The Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa West, Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu, has called for calm and urged the Ghana Police Service to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the death of Abu Tijani, popularly known as “master one”, who reportedly died while in police custody.

The MP made the call at a press briefing in Wa on Thursday, describing the incident as one that had generated public concern and underscoring the need for transparency to maintain public confidence. 

Mr Toobu said the death of Abu Tijani, who had been declared wanted in connection with the protracted Lassia Tuolu-Kendeu conflict and was arrested on July 25, 2026, should be investigated in accordance with the laws of Ghana.

He also appealed to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice to ensure the fair, impartial and expeditious prosecution of all cases arising from the conflict, stressing that justice must be served without fear or favour because “crime is individualistic and not communal.” 

The MP recounted that the communal conflict, which erupted on June 15, 2024, claimed three lives, left several people injured, destroyed properties and disrupted the long-standing peaceful coexistence between the two communities.

He explained that although security agencies restored calm and a mediation process led by the Upper West Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Charles Lwanga Puozuing, had made progress, the process suffered a setback after two young men from Bakpateng near Lassia Tuolu were murdered in Kendeu on November 23, 2025. 

According to Mr Toobu, police arrested 10 suspects following the incident, with nine later granted bail while one remained in custody in connection with the alleged murders. Further investigations subsequently identified additional suspects, including Abu Tijani, who had evaded arrest until his apprehension in July this year. 

The MP said he visited Wechiau on Wednesday to assess the security situation, where he met the Paramount Chief and his Council of Elders, received security briefings and inspected a house that had been set ablaze by some youth during the disturbances. 

Expressing condolences to families who had lost relatives in the conflict, Mr Toobu said the communities should not continue to lose their young people to violence, adding that poverty, disease, unemployment, deprivation and illiteracy remained the real enemies confronting the area.

He urged residents to refrain from spreading unverified information, inflammatory comments and hate speech, particularly on social media, warning that rumours could further inflame tensions. 

Mr Toobu further appealed to the factions involved in the conflict to return to the mediation table under the auspices of REGSEC, saying lasting peace could only be achieved through dialogue, compromise and reconciliation.

He also called on the people of Lassia Tuolu, Kendeu, Wechiau and neighbouring communities to cooperate with security agencies and reject reprisal attacks, while commending the security personnel for their professionalism and sacrifice in protecting lives and property. 

The MP appealed to traditional authorities, religious leaders, women, youth groups and civil society organisations to become ambassadors of peace and work together to restore trust and promote lasting peace in Wa West.

A statement issued by the Upper West Regional Police Command on Tuesday said the suspect, had been on its wanted list after allegedly evading arrest on May 11, 2026, and going into hiding despite appeals through the Paramount Chief of Wechau and community elders for him to assist investigations.

 Police said he resisted arrest when he was eventually apprehended, injuring two officers before being subdued.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly admitted involvement in the case and told investigators that the two victims were initially buried in Wechau before he and his alleged accomplices exhumed and reburied the bodies across the Black Volta River in Burkina Faso to conceal the crime.

Police later escorted him to the alleged original burial site, about three kilometres west of Wechau, but an excavation yielded no human remains. He reportedly maintained that the bodies had been moved days after the initial burial.

The statement said that while investigators were later escorting the suspect to identify the location of one of his alleged accomplices along the Nakore Road, he complained of a severe headache.

 The operation was halted and he was rushed to the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital in Wa, where he was admitted at about 1:00 p.m. but was pronounced dead at 4:37 p.m. despite receiving medical treatment.

BY GORDON WELLU