Nine persons, including a 24-year-old final year student of the Bunkpurugu Senior High School (SHS), have been arrested in connection with the chieftaincy clashes that broke out in the area last week, resulting in the death of two people.
Jabong Yoobe, 24; Tanko Nambir, 29 and Dajeeb Lom, 26 who were the first persons to be apprehended by security agents, were believed to have murdered Daniel Waap the 58-year-old GES staff in the heat of the clashes.
The rest were Kofi Tampuri, a teacher; Jeremiah Kabir; Joshua Nyankpen; Kwabena Bissa; Yewnukwa Tampuri and Tabka Tambakutuk who were also arrested for their roles in the violent clashes.
All nine were arraigned before a Tamale District Magistrate Court 1 presided over by Anthony Assah and remanded into prison custody to reappear on May 4, 2014.
Jabong Yoobe and two of his accomplices were facing charges of murder and causing harm while the others were being charged for arson, violent conduct and conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
It would be recalled that renewed chieftaincy clashes between the Namong and Jafeouk royal gates in Bunkpurugu late last week led to the death of two persons, the burning down of 24 houses and four persons sustaining gunshot wounds.
The Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior – based on the situation report from the District Security Committee (DISEC) – imposed a dawn to dusk curfew on the area.
Chairman of REGSEC and Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru-Limuna disclosed that the security men on the ground through intelligence gathering, would arrest the rest of the culprits.
He admitted there had been a long standing rivalry between the Namong and the Jafeouk clans over who is the legitimate occupant of the skins in the area.
The enskinment of Naa Alhaji Abuba Nasimong II as chief of Bunkpurugu was challenged by another faction – a matter which ended up at the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi.
This was after both had litigated over the matter at the Northern Regional House of Chiefs which referred the issue to a superior authority – in Kumasi.
The verdict which was supposed to be delivered last year, was deferred to a later date by the adjudicating body to allow them study the merit of the case as presented by both factions.
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