The government has eased the curfew imposed on Hamile Township and neighbouring communities in the Lambussie District of the Upper West Region, reducing the restricted period from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am to 10:00 pm to 4:00 am.
The revised restrictions take effect on Thursday, November 5, 2026, following a deadly explosion near the Ghana Burkina Faso border that claimed the lives of an Immigration Service officer and two civilians.
Announcing the adjustment in a Facebook statement on Thursday, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, said the decision followed recommendations from the National Security Council and was formalised through an Executive Instrument.
Despite the relaxation of the movement restrictions, government has maintained a complete prohibition on the possession of firearms, ammunition and other offensive weapons within Hamile and its surrounding communities.
Mr Muntaka warned that anyone found violating the weapons prohibition would face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
The Interior Minister also appealed to traditional authorities, community opinion leaders, young people and other residents to exercise restraint in the face of the prevailing security difficulties and resort to peaceful and lawful channels to express their concerns.
The curfew was initially imposed following an explosion involving a motor tricycle suspected of transporting explosives, which killed an Immigration officer and two civilians, while leaving another officer critically injured.
Preliminary accounts indicate that the explosion occurred during a routine patrol near the Ghana Burkina Faso border, when Immigration personnel reportedly encountered three individuals suspected of smuggling goods towards Burkina Faso.
The group allegedly comprised two teenagers travelling on a motor tricycle and an elderly man riding a motorcycle ahead of them.
The officers reportedly pursued the suspected smugglers, but during the chase, gunfire allegedly struck materials believed to be explosives being carried on the tricycle, triggering a powerful explosion.
The resulting blast killed one Immigration officer and two civilians, while another officer sustained critical injuries.
The injured officer was initially taken to Nandom Hospital before being airlifted to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for further medical treatment.
The incident was reportedly followed by additional violence after some aggrieved young residents allegedly attacked Immigration personnel in retaliation for the deaths.
Security officers are said to have returned fire during the confrontation, leaving approximately 10 people injured.
The government’s decision to reduce the curfew hours comes as authorities seek to restore calm in the border community while maintaining security measures to prevent further disturbances.
