At least four people, including a National Health Insurance Authority staff member, a headteacher, and a local chief, were shot dead on Monday after armed men opened fire at the NHIA district office in Garu, Upper East Region, sending shockwaves through the normally peaceful town.
The attack, which began around 10 a.m., sent panic rippling across the community as residents and schoolchildren fled for safety. Witnesses said four assailants on two motorbikes stormed the NHIA premises and began shooting indiscriminately before pursuing fleeing victims through nearby streets.
Edward Ndebugri, former Presiding Member of the Garu District Assembly and current Assembly Member for Kugri, described the terrifying moments when gunshots first rang out. At first people thought the shooting was near the rural bank, but it quickly became clear the NHIA office was under attack. Two people were shot at the facility, one inside the office and another outside.
The attackers wore smocks, helmets, and masks to conceal their identities. Hospital sources and eyewitnesses confirmed that an NHIA staff member died inside the office, while another victim was killed on the premises. The gunmen then chased fleeing residents and schoolchildren near a nearby public school, where additional victims fell.
A headteacher of Garu G/A Primary School became one of the casualties when the gunmen pursued fleeing teachers and pupils. When one of the teachers fell while running, the assailants shot him dead, Ndebugri recounted. A local chief also died during the rampage, though details about how he was targeted remain unclear.
Disturbingly, witnesses said the attackers didn’t steal anything from the NHIA office or the victims. They just shot and left, Ndebugri added, deepening the mystery surrounding the motive for the brutal attack. This detail suggests the assault was targeted rather than a robbery gone wrong.
After the shooting spree, the gunmen fled through the Garu Presbyterian Hospital area, passed by the Garu Catholic Junior High School, and sped off toward the Kugri/Songo road. Their whereabouts remain unknown. No arrests have been reported, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
By early afternoon, security had been reinforced throughout Garu, with heavily armed police and military personnel patrolling key locations including the NHIA office and the Presbyterian Hospital. The visible security presence aimed to restore calm in a town gripped by fear after experiencing unprecedented violence.
The whole town is in shock. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident, Ndebugri told reporters. People are living in fear, and we are pleading with security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. His words captured the community’s desperate hope that authorities can quickly identify and apprehend those responsible.
Hospital sources confirmed four deaths, while several others were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the Garu Presbyterian Hospital. The Ghana News Agency reported that the attackers allegedly seized a new motorbike from one of their victims before fleeing, adding theft to the list of crimes committed during the rampage.
The attack represents a shocking escalation of violence in Garu, a town that has experienced security challenges in the past but nothing approaching Monday’s coordinated assault. Residents have called for calm but urged authorities to enhance security presence while investigating the motive behind the brutal attack.
The Upper East Region has experienced periodic security incidents related to chieftaincy disputes, land conflicts, and cross-border tensions, but a daylight attack on a government facility resulting in multiple deaths marks an alarming development. The brazen nature of the assault, occurring mid-morning at a busy office, suggests the perpetrators felt emboldened to strike without fear of immediate response.
Questions are mounting about how four armed men on motorbikes could storm a government office, kill multiple people including a staff member, pursue victims through public areas near a school, and escape without encountering security forces. These questions will likely feature prominently in the investigation authorities have promised.
The death of the NHIA staff member inside the office raises particular concerns. Was this individual specifically targeted, or simply caught in indiscriminate violence? The fact that one victim was shot inside while another died outside suggests the attackers entered the building with purpose rather than randomly firing from the street.
The headteacher’s death while fleeing with pupils highlights how the violence spread beyond the initial target. Teachers and pupils began running helter-skelter when the shooting started, Ndebugri explained. The gunmen chased them in the direction they fled, transforming what might have been a targeted hit into a broader massacre.
The chief’s death adds another dimension to speculation about motives. Chieftaincy disputes have historically triggered violence in northern Ghana, though typically not involving attacks on government facilities. Whether the chief’s presence at or near the NHIA office was coincidental or connected to the attack remains unclear.
Community members are struggling to make sense of the violence. Garu, like many towns in the Upper East Region, faces development challenges but maintains generally peaceful social relations. Monday’s attack shattered that sense of security, leaving residents wondering whether this represents an isolated incident or signals emerging threats.
The incident recalls the May 2025 murder of Mohammed Seidu Akugri, the Bongo District NHIA Director, who was shot and his body burned by unknown assailants near Bolgatanga. That killing, which occurred at Nangodi, sparked calls for thorough investigation and raised concerns about targeting of NHIA officials in the Upper East Region.
Whether Monday’s attack shares any connection to the Bongo incident or represents an entirely separate occurrence remains a critical question for investigators. The pattern of violence targeting NHIA personnel and facilities in the region demands serious security assessment and response.
Security analysts will likely examine whether the attack relates to broader regional instability, local grievances, criminal activity, or other factors. The Upper East Region borders Burkina Faso, where jihadist violence has displaced millions and created security challenges that sometimes spill across borders.
However, the nature of Monday’s attack, targeting a specific government office rather than representing generalized violence, suggests local rather than external actors may be responsible. The use of motorbikes for rapid escape is common in various types of attacks across West Africa, from armed robbery to politically motivated violence.
For Garu residents, the immediate priority is safety and justice. Schools may face difficult decisions about whether to continue normal operations while armed assailants remain at large. Parents will naturally fear for their children’s security after witnessing how Monday’s violence endangered pupils and killed their headteacher.
The NHIA will need to assess security at its facilities across the Upper East Region and potentially nationwide. If the attack targeted NHIA operations or staff specifically, other offices may face similar threats. If it stemmed from unrelated local conflicts that happened to occur at an NHIA facility, the implications differ but security concerns remain.
National authorities face pressure to demonstrate they can protect both citizens and government workers in regional towns where security infrastructure is often limited. The swift deployment of armed police and military personnel to Garu shows responsiveness, but prevention matters more than reaction.
As investigations proceed, residents await answers about who carried out the attack, why they targeted the NHIA office, and whether additional threats exist. Until those questions are answered and perpetrators apprehended, fear will continue gripping a community traumatized by violence that shattered Monday morning’s normalcy.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
