Curfew imposed in Yendi after chieftaincy row
A curfew has been imposed on the Yendi Municipality following unrest after the enskinment of a rival chief, Na Natongmah Ziblim as chief of Kpatinga, by the Abudu Royal family.
Kampkuyana Abudulai Yakubu Andani, Regent of Dagbon had enskinned a chief for the same village.
At a press conference the Abudu gate indicated that the road map to the peace process in the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute did not confer such powers on Kampkuyana because of the peculiar situation in which the Dagbon state presently found itself.
The Abudu gate said the regent had breached the road map to peace by performing the funeral rites of dead chiefs and also enskinning chiefs and as a result they would no longer recognise him as regent of Dagbon and would similarly enskin their own chiefs.
They said it was based upon this that they went ahead to enskin chiefs including Kpatinga.
However security forces on Sunday, March 25 stormed the palace and arrested the rival chief.
Mr Abubakar Saddique, Acting Secretary to the Bolilana, Regent of the Abudu gate who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) alleged that the government was in bed with the Andanis and Abudus are no longer going to tolerate that.
He said 25 chiefs had so far been enskinned by the Andanis which was a breach of the peace process.
Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Committee who spoke on various media networks said the curfew was imposed to maintain law and order.
He said the Regional Coordinating Council had no hands in determining who should be a chief but would not allow the prevailing peace in the region to be jeopardised.
He gave the assurance that the security agencies would continue to monitor the situation and ensure that peace prevails.
When the GNA visited the Regional Police Office a group of people believed to be Abudu youth have massed up and agitating for the release of the Kpatinga chief who had been brought there for questioning.
At the time of filling this report no charge had been preferred against the chief, meanwhile efforts by the GNA to speak to the Regional Police Commander proved futile.
Source: GNA