Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - Mr Wumbei Binchera, a farmer and a night watchman at Ghana Cotton Company in Yendi, on Tuesday stated that the murder of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, the Overlord of Dagbon, was planned by the Abudus.

He said Andanis did not have any problem with anybody but the Abudus hatched plans to attack them.

Mr Binchera made this statement when he was led in evidence by Mr Solomon Atadzi, Principal State Attorney, at the ongoing Ya Na murder trial at an Accra Fast Track High Court. Fourteen persons are on trial for their alleged involvement in the assassination of Ya-Na Andani and 30 others in March 2002. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to murder and murder.

The accused persons are Mohammed Habib Tijani, former Yendi DCE, Iddrisu Iddi, 76, Alhaji Baba Iddrisu Abdulai, 54, Kwame Alhassan, 53, and Mohammadu Abdulai, 57. The others are Saibu Mohammed, 34, Alhassan Mohammed Briamah, 40, Alhassan Ibrahim, Mohammed Mustapha and Sani Moro. The rest are Yakubu Usifu, Ahmed Abukari, Abdul Razak Usifu and Alhassan Braimah.

Zakaria Forest, the man alleged to have cut-off the head and hands of the Ya-Na, is at large. Mr Binchera said on March 25, 2002, he was on his way to the farm when he met Kwame Alhassan, Moro Champong and Kwame Champing who told him that they were going to kill all the Andanis. Mr Binchera said the next day while in the house he heard that the Abudus had attacked the Gbewaa Palace. He said he saw an armoured car heading towards the Palace but it turned round and headed towards town.

Mr Binchera said a few minutes later the Abudus started firing again towards the palace, and it became more intense. He said he saw Ayoma, Kwame Champong and Kwame Alhassan holding guns and firing at the palace. He said because his house was close to the Palace he hid behind a dustbin and later escaped to the police checkpoint, which was close to his workplace.

Mr Binchera said while there he saw Mohammed Habib Tijani, the former DCE for Yendi, coming from town in a vehicle and he met one soldier with a mobile phone. He said he overheard the soldier speak in Dagbani and asked the former DCE; "Have you killed the chief or have you taken him away from the Palace".

He said the former DCE answered; "We have not killed him, neither have we taken him away from the Palace".

Mr Binchera said because of the intense firing he was so frightened that he could not go back to his house and he had to spend the night at the checkpoint.

He said the next morning while he was heading towards the Hospital near the Waterworks he met Mohammed Balungu who told him that Ya Na had been killed.

Mr Binchera said he stood there for sometime speechless and decided to leave for Tamale where he was made to write his statement. He denied claims from the defence counsel that all that he was saying was an afterthought because he (Binchera) was not in the Gbewaa from March 25 to 27, 2002 so he could not have seen those three Abudus he had accused of firing at the palace.

The prosecution said that sometime in March 2002, the Ya-Na and some of his elders were killed following a clash between the two royal gates in Dagbon, the Abudus and Andanis.

After the clash, Idrissu Gyamfo and Yidana Sugri were arrested and prosecuted for the alleged murder but they were acquitted and discharged.

The Government in a fresh attempt to find the murderers conducted a dawn swoop at Yendi during, which 41 persons were rounded up. After screening them in Bimbilla, 33 were granted self-recognisance bail, while the rest were brought to Accra and subsequently others were arrested and were arraigned.

The case has been adjourned to October 6, 2010.