Tamale residents petition IGP to redeploy 'Black Maria' team as drug crime re-surface

A coalition of concerned residents in the Northern Region has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, COP Christian Tetteh Yohunu, to redeploy the IGP Special Operations Task Force, popularly known as Black Maria, to Tamale to help address what they describe as a renewed rise in illicit drug sales, particularly Tramadol, and related criminal activities.

The petition, submitted by the Convener, Abdulai Manan (Jibson), on behalf of residents of Tamale and the wider Northern Region, is also calling for the task force to be reconstituted under the leadership of DSP Bawah Abdul Jalil, who previously commanded the unit during its deployment to the area.

According to the petitioners, Black Maria was deployed to Tamale in November 2025 and recorded what they described as significant progress in tackling drug peddling and related offences.

They said the task force was subsequently withdrawn following agitation from some political and traditional authorities.

The petitioners said the locally established Red Maria task force, which replaced Black Maria, had not, in their assessment, achieved the same level of visibility and impact in dealing with the reported drug and crime situation.

“Tamale is experiencing yet another surge in drugs and crime, and we believe the presence of an effective task force will go a long way toward reducing it,” the group said in the petition.

The residents, however, want any redeployment of the task force to be accompanied by clear oversight and accountability measures.

They proposed regular reporting to the Northern Regional Police Command and the establishment of a formal complaints mechanism to enable concerns about the conduct of officers to be addressed.

The measures, they said, would help prevent a recurrence of excesses previously alleged against the task force.

Copies of the petition have also been submitted to His Royal Highness, the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Naa, and the Northern Regional Police Command in Tamale.

The group urged the Police Administration to consider the request with urgency, stressing that sustained efforts to tackle illicit drug activity and associated crime were necessary to protect residents and safeguard the future of young people in the region.

[Full text of the petition is attached.]