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One dead, 2 arrested for attempting to prevent new Yaa Naa from entering Katini

 

Sporadic gunfire erupted in the middle of the night just when the kingmakers of Dagbon were to usher the new Yaa Naa into the Katini ( sacred house) to begin traditional rituals, police have said.

The sporadic gunshots according to the police erupted during the curfew hours as the rituals were about to commence at the Gbewaa Palace.

An individual identified as King Hassan Gaddafi believed to be in his thirties was found dead in the Gbewaa compound where the shots originated after the military and police opened fire on unknown gunmen who reportedly fired to prevent the new Yaa Naa from being ushered into Katini.

His body has since been conveyed to the Yendi hospital morgue for preservation. Closed associates of the late Gaddafi said he was a staff of the Yendi municipality of Ghana Audit service.

Police described Friday night gunshots as more serious than those fired on 14th January which eventually disrupted the commencement of the late Yaa Naa Yakubu Abdulai Andani II funeral.

Meanwhile two men were arrested by the police for the possession of AK 47 assault rifles. Authorities said the two refused to disclose their identities during questioning.

According to the northern regional police spokesma, DSP Yussif Tanko, unknown gunmen ignored the presence of security personnel and fired from an abandoned house located a few meters from the Gbewaa palace where traditional rites were being performed.

Security personnel returned fire and pursued the shooters inside the abandoned building after police and military had surrounded it, DSP Tanko continued.

However,  on midnight Saturday, at about 12:45 a.m. the performance of the rituals continued amidst drumming and firing of musketry with tight security. The activities came to a close at about 5:30 a.m.

According DSP Tanko, unknown gunmen also fired from three additional directions around the same time, but the shooters managed to elude police.

“It would have been worse without it because we couldn’t have distinguished the trouble makers from the innocent ones,” DSP Tanko said.

He continued: “Last night’s shooting was more intense compared to what was witnessed on Friday last week but the curfew made it management easier.”

The situation he said has been brought under control with improved monitoring of the situation at the Gbewaa Palace and the entire Yendi municipality.

Meanwhile, the New Yaa Naa, Abukari Mahama has been moved from Katini to Zohe where he will spend some days before moving to the next customary house Mba Dugu house.

It is not clear if he will move in there because the Boli Lana was still occupying it in spite of the Andani family’s request to the regional security council to move him out.

The new Yaa Naa will spend a maximum of seven days observing rituals before settling in the Gbewaa Palace hopefully by 25th after Quranic recitation which will be led by the Chief Imam of Yendi.

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