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The police in the Northern region have collected a pistol belonging to Hajia Hawawu Gariba Boya, a Deputy Ambassador of Ghana to Saudi Arabia following an altercation with her neighbours in Tamale on Christmas Day.
 
Madam Boya was said to have fired a warning shot at some members of a ‘noisy church’ in her neighbourhood in Tamale after they failed to heed to complaints to lower their noise.

According to the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, they have taken the pistol as part of their investigations into the matter.

The police have since taken preliminary statements from Madam Boya and some members of the Assemblies of God Spring of Life Ministries Church.

The altercation ensued after members of the church were said to have failed to heed to complaints from the Deputy Ambassador to lower the noise.

ASP Tetteh said the police have confirmed that Madam Boya initially used pepper spray on some of the church members with the intention to persuade them to reduce the noise.

The church members told the police that during worship and praises time, they realized that there was an irritating gas coming into the area and made some of the church members uncomfortable so some of them came out to enquire from their immediate neighbour who happens to be Hajia Boya.

It was during that time that a disagreement ensued between some of the people who had gone to her house and she came out to fire some warning shots.

She told the police the people had come to her house to attack her, so she used the pistol as self defence and according to ASP Tetteh the police have concluded that the pistol should be taken from her as part of the investigations.

A carpenter in Hajia Boya’s house was said to have sustained an injury as a result of the confrontation as well as one member of the church who was also said to have sustained an injury on the forehead.

The police have issued medical forms to the two who sustained “assault” wounds and after treatment, the police will take statements from them.

Nobody has been charged yet.

Noise from churches is a common phenomenon in Ghana as various local assemblies have reneged on enforcing the law on noise-making and the building of churches in residential areas.