By Larry-Alans Dogbey

The Herald’s investigations has found out that the recent failure by the state to find the killers of the late overload of the Dagbon Traditional Area, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, is because a key witness in the matter, an ex-Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) Mr. Ellis Owusu-Fordjour, has for the second time been ignored.

This week, an Accra Fast Track High Court acquitted and discharged 14 people who were said to have been behind the killing of the Ya-Na and 40 others.

Mr. Ellis Owusu-Fordjour, who currently works as a private legal practitioner, resigned from his post as BNI boss following clashes he had with the then National Security Adviser, General Joshua Hamidu, over the latter’s handling of intelligence reports on the Yendi tragedy which led to the death of the Ya-Na and 40 of his subjects.

Sources close to Owusu Fordjour’s family, insist to The Herald that the man who left the system to “preserve his conscience and reputation” is the key person to talk to as he is privy to a lot of information on the crisis.

The murder of the Ya-Na took place between March 25 and 27, 2002, and by April 2002, the highly respected secret service man had resigned.

Quite shockingly, the BNI operative stationed in Yendi, whose name has been given only as Farouk, who gathered much of the information on the crisis and the murder, and forwarded them to BNI headquarters in Accra, is said to have been killed in a bizarre motor accident, after he had been transferred from the Yendi Station to Wa, in the Upper West Region, shortly after the killings.

BNI sources believe that Farouk’s death was planned and executed as he is seen as the primary source of reports filed to the BNI headquarters in Accra. Very vital reports on the crisis prepared by Farouk were sent to the Castle, and given to prominent persons within the state security apparatus at the time, who could have acted swiftly to prevent the carnage in Yendi, but sat upon it.

The Wuaku Commission of Enquiry heavily indicted both the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service over their failure to control the crisis. But the 150-page report of the commission was silent on the role of the BNI in the crisis. Indeed, Messrs Owusu Fordjour and Farouk were not mentioned at all as they were not called to testify.

And from his office located near Trust Towers in Accra, directly opposite the Farrar Avenue Total Filling Station at Adabraka, Mr. Owusu-Fordjour, has been lamenting over the issue, especially to his close pals who visit and share sticks of cigarette with him under big Nim trees in front of his office.

The Monday, May 6 2002, edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper quoted sources as saying that relations between the former BNI head and his National Security boss hit rock bottom, when Owusu-Fordjuor was reported to have by-passed him and sent important intelligence information on the death of the Ya-Na and 40 others, directly to the president.

The Graphic report said that Mr. Owusu Forduor’s frustrations began when reports on the events in Yendi sent to him by the Yendi BNI officer (Farouk) which he forwarded to the National Security Adviser for action, were allegedly not acted upon.

The subsequent detailed reports from Yendi which allegedly bordered on the complicity of some people in the tragedy and for which the National Security Adviser was believed not to be well disposed to acting on, were therefore, sent directly to the top.

When the information on this level of reporting eventually got to General Hamidu, he flew into a rage and accused Mr. Owusu-Fordjuor of disloyalty and back-stabbing, and said that he could no longer work with him.

“Mr. Owusu-Fordjuor was also said to have expressed his displeasure at the way and manner important matters of

national security were being mishandled, leading to the commission of blunders, and said he could no longer function in such a situation, and offered his resignation,” the Graphic report said.

According to the report, the Yendi District BNI officer had been highly commended by Mr. Owusu Fordjuor and the top hierarchy of the BNI, for displaying a keen sense of duty, hard work and proficiency in sending detailed reports on the events in Yendi before, during and after the killing of the Ya-Na and 40 others at the Gbewaa Palace.

“When contacted for his reaction on the matter, General Hamidu made it clear that as the security adviser, he is not supposed to talk to journalists. He however dismissed the allegations as a figment of someone’s imagination,” the Daily Graphic said.

Portions of the Wuaku Commission expressed regret at the relative indifference and inaction by key state and government agencies during the crisis. Apart from the inaction of security institutions, key government functionaries were either not at post at Yendi or claimed to be indisposed at the height of the crisis.

*The Wuaku Commission report notes:*

“The Regional Minister, Prince Imoro Andani, who indiscreetly lifted the curfew, was not at post for a greater part of the crisis.

“He was absent at the REGSEC meeting that imposed the curfew on Yendi. He was on his way to Accra on March 26, when exchange of fire had already started in Yendi, and was not present when REGSEC met to discuss security reinforcement in Yendi.

“He was again absent on March 27, when the riot was at its peak. His presence was felt only on March 24, when he walked in to lift the curfew. He thus maintained only a shadowy presence at his post during the crisis.

“His deputy, Issah Ketekewu, acted on his behalf in the request for the approval of curfew from the National Security Council. But he was also on his way to Accra to see his doctor, on Sunday, March 24.

“The Minister for the Interior at the time, Alhaji Malik Yakubu Alhassan, was indisposed for most part of the crisis. But he was available to receive the application for the imposition of the ban and curfew.

“The Ghana police was reasonably effective in monitoring, but not in * arresting,* the crisis for various reasons, including the relative lack of personnel and logistical support.

“The functioning of the military detachment in Yendi was not at its optimum either. They had a malfunctioning rifle and faulty batteries in the armoured vehicle. And when they sought reinforcement from tamale, what came forth was the wrong military gear.

“The Ghana telecom lines were down on March 25 when the crisis began and were restored on March 27, when the carnage was over”.

The Wuaku Commission which was to look into the murder of the Ya-na, strangely, did not include any security personnel. It was made up of Justice I.N.K Wuaku, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and two educationists – Professor Kwesi Yankah of the University of Ghana, Legon and Mrs. Florence Brew.