A cousin to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Bawku Central Constituency, Haruna Alhassan, has been shot by some unknown gun men in his house at Bado, a suburb of the Bawku Municipality.

He was shot yesterday at 2am. The victim, Baba Musah Buzanga, who narrowly escaped death, has since been treated and discharged. His wife and children were also beaten by the gunmen who wore masks.

This shooting incident, which is the first to be witnessed in many months in the area, took place after a group of persons believed to be from a political party had attended a funeral at Bado. The group, according to Buzanga’s family member, was reported to have asked for the family house of the NPP parliamentary candidate and some of his family members.

Buzanga, according to a family member, was pointed out by the a passer-by to the group as a cousin to Haruna Alhassan, who is contesting Mahama Ayariga of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Bawku Central seat.

The family member said Baba Musah had openly declared in the media and at some gatherings in the constituency that he was a cousin to Haruna Alhassan and that they had their family house at Bado where they both grew up as children.

His open declaration was in reaction to claims by some persons believed to be opposing the NPP candidate that Haruna Alhassan was a Burkinabe and not a native of Bawku.

According to the family member, the gunmen first went to the house of the victim’s wife and children in search of him and when they did not get him there, the gunmen subjected the Buzanga’s family to severe beatings until the family directed them to Buzanga’s house.

When the gunmen got to his house, they hurriedly shot him in his left shoulder and took off, thinking they had killed him.

Some residents of the Natinga Community believed the shooting incident could be the manifestation of some information being circulated in the community and municipality that some persons in government were bent on ensuring that the NPP does not win the seat again.

Majority of the people in the business area of the municipality voted against the NDC in 2008, and they are very likely to repeat that action on December 7.