Ya-Na Confirmed Dead

The Paramount Chief of Dagon Traditional Area, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani has been confirmed dead. The Ya-Na was beheaded in overnight clashes on Wednesday. There were conflicting reports on Thursday morning as to whether or not Ya-Na Andani is dead. This created confusion in Yendi and Tamale. Credible sources close to the Ya-Na’s Palace however told Joy FM that the Ya-Na is dead.

A statement from the Interior Minister, Alhaji Malik Yakubu on Thursday evening confirmed the death of the Ya-Na. Meanwhile the Ghana News Agency reports that the Counsel for the Andani Gate, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama is wavering from his earlier claim that the Ya-Na is alive.

Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, who on Wednesday, decried the government(quote)s statement that the Ya-Na was dead, now says he is receiving conflicting reports about the Ya-Na(quote)s whereabouts. Alhaji Mahama had earlier stated emphatically that the Ya-Na was alive but declined to disclose his whereabouts.

He had promised that the Ya-Na would hold a press conference on Thursday. But he told the Ghana News Agency that that he had dispatched a team from Tamale to Yendi to verify whether the Ya-Na was dead or alive. Another group of people would be leaving for Yendi to bury the kith and kin of the Andani Gate.

Though, Yendi is said to be calm, tension is reportedly mounting in Tamale and armed military personnel have been deployed to guard strategic places.

The latest fighting was precipitated when the Abudus allegedly attacked a young man from the Andani camp and destroyed his bicycle. Sporadic gunshots were heard during the whole of Tuesday despite the presence of armed soldiers and police. By 1800 hours on Tuesday three persons had received gunshot wounds and were on admission at the Yendi Government Hospital.

A dusk to dawn curfew was imposed on Yendi on Monday because of the tense situation there. The Northern Regional Security Committee deployed armed soldiers and police to the area and banned the celebration of this year(quote)s annual Bugum (Fire) Festival at Yendi that was to have taken place on Monday night.

Tension had been mounting between the two gates since last January over the celebration of the Muslim Eid ul-Adha festival. The Andani Gate that is currently occupying the Dagbon Skin was said not to have been happy when the rival Abudu Gate celebrated the festival in the traditional way at the house of its regent.

Since then, there had been rumours of an imminent attack and counter-attack by the rival chieftaincy gates, which boiled over into an exchange of gunfire on Monday morning.