A 33-year-old husband of two pregnant wives and a father of three has been killed in Yendi after violent confrontation erupted Thursday evening between youth groups.
Three others were said to have been injured and receiving treatment. Two houses and a pavilion were also reportedly torched.
Skirmishes broke out near the Old Gbewaa Palace in the township at about 6pm when the Chief of Sagnarigu entered with a huge convoy to pitch camp ahead of the funeral of late Ya Naa Yakubu Andani II.
The skirmish was said to between the Abudu and Andani youth who are both trading blames for the confrontation.
While the Andanis claimed the attack on their convoy led to the violence, the Abudus said some members of convoy started shooting catapults and stones their them and they never responded
The police responded by deploying a water cannon and other crowd control vehicles to the scene.
“Those from Tamale they have come here and they are causing a whole lot of problems here. They just came and started throwing stones to the Abudus side and all that. We have deployed our men and we are even here with the water canon”, Yendi Police Commander, C/Sup. Kofi Ayerizeng told StarrNews.
The police were able to contain the situation to avert an escalation and intensify patrol in Yendi township resumed.
In a statement, the Abudu Royal Family condemned the “unprovoked attack, saying hoodlums from the Andani Family discharged ammunitions from their weapons leading to the death of an innocent citizen and injuring score of others.
The statement said the motive behind the attack on them was to derail the mediation efforts and renew divisions in Dagbon.
The family said the attack was a “well-rehearsed and choreograph exercise by the hoodlums who went on rampage and burning houses belonging to the Abudu Royal Family members within the vicinity of the Gbewaa Palace without any restraint from the security. The Family is therefore, asking the Security and Government to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
Source:Starrfmonline.com