Immigration officer killed, colleague injured in Hamile dynamite explosion on tricycle

A deadly explosion involving a motor tricycle carrying suspected dynamite has claimed the life of a Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officer and left another in critical condition at Hamile in the Upper West Region.

The incident happened on Tuesday, November 3, along an unauthorised route in the border community, after security personnel reportedly attempted to intercept the tricycle.

Information from security sources in Hamile indicates that the civilians transporting the suspected explosives also died in the blast.

The civilians were allegedly being pursued by security officers after failing to stop at a checkpoint.

Preliminary accounts suggest that the tricycle was travelling along an unapproved route when the personnel tried to stop it, but its occupants reportedly ignored the instructions, triggering a pursuit that ended in the explosion.

The blast caught up with the pursuing officers, killing one Immigration personnel and leaving a colleague with critical injuries.

The injured officer is reportedly in a serious condition, although details of the injuries and the medical facility where the officer is receiving treatment are not yet known.

Hamile is a major border community in the Upper West Region, close to Ghana’s frontier with Burkina Faso. Security agencies maintain a presence in the area to monitor cross-border movements and prevent unauthorised activities.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the difficulties security personnel face in monitoring unapproved routes, particularly when dealing with the movement of people, goods and potentially dangerous materials.