An attack on a Catholic church by gunmen in Burkina Faso Sunday, which resulted in the killing of five churchgoers and one priest, has prompted the Executive Director of the African Center for Security and Counter-Terrorism, Emmanuel Kutin, to advise churches in Ghana to ramp up security.
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The gunmen did not conclude their attack after targetting the church. According to Urbain Kabore, a spokesperson for the West African country's Sahel region, a health center and all locations serving alcohol were also wrecked. The strike took place in Dablo, which is located approximately 200 kilometers from the country's capital, Ouagadougou.
Kutin spoke on a local radio station Friday to firmly recommend that churches in Ghana should consider the attacks of their northern neighbor as a warning, and to take necessary safety measures.
"The churches must take their own security seriously," the executive director stressed.
The counter-terrorism chief added that the places of worship should not rely on their basic resources, and "must hire security consultants to give them ideas on how to handle their security on the premises of the churches."
Kutin extended the warning to all Ghanaians, saying that they must all remain alert of any suspicious activity. "If any unknown person is lurking around their business or homes, they will need to quickly draw the attention of others around so they forestall any attacks."
Ghana's National Security Minister also met with several leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities in Accra Thursday. At the meeting were representatives of several religious associations, such as the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), the Catholic Secretariat and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission. The country's National Security division has committed to working with church workers in order to assist them in implementing adequate security measures.
GPCC General Secretary, Rev. Emmanuel Barrigah, said that the meeting aimed to alert the religious communities to attentiveness regarding the threat of terrorism in the country, especially acts that target them specifically.