Bawku(UER), Oct. 3, GNA - A military patrol team from the Airborne Detachment Force at Bawku, at dawn on Wednesday mistook a 32-year-old farmer returning from a funeral as a smuggler and shot at him at Zawse, a suburb of Bawku.

The bullet hit the right buttocks of Awini Ndego and came out through his stomach.

It took more than four hours for doctors at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital to battle the death-threatening victim's life through an emergency operation.

Narrating his ordeal to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at his bedside, Awini, who has not spoken or eaten ever since the incident happened, said he attended a friend's wake keeping on Tuesday night at Bawku and at about 0100 hours, he left the funeral grounds.

He said on reaching Zawse, he heard the sound of a motorcycle being pursued by a vehicle towards his direction. Awini, a father of four, said he became afraid and thinking that they were armed robbers, took to his heels, but soon realised that a bullet had hit him.

He said his shouts for help attracted the military patrol team who came to his aid and rushed him to the hospital.

Mr Peter Mawong, Bawku District Police Commander, confirmed the incident and said the case was being investigated. Meanwhile, a source close to the team collaborated Awini's claim that the team was pursuing suspected smugglers.