A disputed chief of Yiidana and his son have been shot dead in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region, reigniting a chieftaincy dispute that has persisted for nearly four years.
The incident occurred around midnight on Thursday when three gunmen allegedly attacked the chief’s family house and opened fire on the chief and his son.
Gushegu Municipal Chief Executive, Abdul Hafiz Adam, confirmed the deaths.
“What happened was that yesterday, in the night, around 12:00 a.m., we had information that some gunmen had attacked the disputed chief of Yiidana. Three gunmen, as we are told, went to the house and shot him and his son. So, both of them have died, and we can confirm their deaths for now,” he said.
The killings are linked to a longstanding dispute over the authority to enskin a chief for Yiidana, involving residents of the nearby Paboni community and the traditional authority of Zantali-Lana.
According to Mr Adam, the conflict began about four years ago when the Zantali-Lana attempted to install a chief for Yiidana.
Residents of Paboni reportedly objected and challenged the authority of the Zantali-Lana to carry out the enskinment.
The matter was subsequently referred to the palace of the Yaa Naa in Yendi for determination.
“The Yaa Naa ruled that the Zantali-Lana had that authority to enskin a chief for that community,” Mr Adam said.
The ruling, however, failed to bring a lasting end to the dispute.
Earlier clashes between residents of Yiidana and Paboni reportedly resulted in the destruction of property. As part of efforts to resolve the matter, residents of Yiidana were advised to seek compensation through the courts.
Tensions resurfaced after enskinment
Mr Adam said tensions resurfaced when the Zantali-Lana later sought to proceed with the enskinment.
He said the chief with jurisdiction over Paboni subsequently indicated that Yiidana did not fall under Paboni, effectively clearing the way for the Zantali-Lana to proceed with the ceremony.
Residents of Paboni reportedly attempted to disrupt the enskinment, but the ceremony eventually went ahead.
Due to security concerns, the newly enskinned chief was initially made to live outside Yiidana.
About a month ago, the chief’s family informed local security authorities of plans to return him to the community.
Mr Adam said the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) asked the family to allow authorities time to assess the security situation before the chief returned.
“We, as MUSEC, requested that we should be given time to go into the matter and be able to establish that there will be enough security for the chief in the community before he relocates back to the community,” he said.
“But the family failed to listen to us. They insisted that they had already sent the chief to the Yiidana community.”
Mr Adam said local authorities eventually allowed the chief to return on the condition that peace was maintained.
That arrangement was shattered by Thursday night’s attack.
Security deployed as residents flee
Police and military personnel have since been deployed to Yiidana to prevent further violence.
Mr Adam said he was awaiting the arrival of the Northern Regional Minister and the Regional Security Council from Tamale to assess the situation and determine the next steps.
He said the area was currently calm.
“Currently, the place is calm. There is no fighting, there is no gunshots,” he said.
The bodies of the chief and his son remain in the community pending decisions by MUSEC and the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) on burial arrangements.
Despite the calm, the killings have heightened tensions in Yiidana and surrounding communities.
Mr Adam said several residents had fled their homes amid fears of possible retaliatory attacks.
He said there was “general suspicion out there that the two families may attack each other again,” prompting residents to leave their communities.
Authorities are expected to intensify security measures in the area while investigations continue into the killings and efforts are made to prevent further escalation of the chieftaincy dispute.
Source: joynews
