Curfew at Yeji

DAILY GUIDE can confirm that a total of 17 people sustained gunshot wounds which resulted in the death of two people at the weekend during chieftaincy clashes at Yeji in the Pru District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

The District Security Council (DISEC) has since last Saturday imposed a dust-to-dawn curfew on the township as a measure to bring the volatile situation under control.

The Presiding Member (PM) of the Pru District Assembly, Wisdom Kwasi Zor, yesterday told DAILY GUIDE that the 6pm to 6am “Stay-In-Doors” order is still in force which compelled residents to sleep by 6pm up until 6am in the morning.

According to Mr. Zor, there are over 80 security men including soldiers on the ground to enforce the orders.

The Yeji District Police Commander, ASP David Asirifi Donkor, also confirmed to DAILY GUIDE that three of the victims, who were in critical condition, had been transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi for treatment.

Ten of the victims, who received various degrees of gunshot wounds, are still on admission at the St. Matthias Hospital at Yeji, while two had been treated and discharged, he added.

According to ASP Donkor, investigations into the Saturday afternoon clashes between the two feuding chieftaincy camps had begun.

He indicated that some of the culprits could be identified and the police would go after them in due course to bring them to face the full rigours of the law for their action.

It would be recalled that supporters of two chieftaincy factions at Kwadwo-Boffour, a suburb of Yeji, clashed on Saturday during the annual Nchumburu Congress held at the community which brought together members of the Nchumburu tribe all over the country.

According to reports, the Kwadwo-Boffour community has been under a chieftaincy row following the death of the former chief a couple of years ago as attempts to look for his successor has erupted into a chieftaincy disputes.

The Paramount Chief of the Yeji Traditional Area and President of Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, Pemampem Yaw Kagbrese IV, who after declining to endorse one Nana Agyare Boffour II, a claimant to the stool, has gone ahead to install one Nana Kwasi Ansah as the legitimate chief of the community.

The two disputed chiefs, therefore, stormed the event leading to the shooting incident. According to the police, although they ordered Nana Agyare Boffour to desist from attending the festival, he flouted their directive.

Meanwhile, residents have accused the security personnel detailed in the town to ensure law and order of gross abuse.

A section of the people, who spoke with DAILY GUIDE, said the security personnel were harassing them as innocent persons were beaten up by the officers during the curfew hours.

A Muslim confirmed to the paper that a group of Muslims were attacked by the security personnel on Tuesday dawn after they had gone to the mosque to pray.

He said on their return to their home around 5:30 am, the officers met them and started beating them for breaking the curfew hours.

The residents had, therefore, threatened that they would confront the security officials to defend their rights, if the unnecessary harassments and beatings were not stopped immediately.