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A Tamale High Court has sentenced an activist of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yahuza Yakubu, to death by hanging. The court, presided over by His Lordship Justice L L Mensah, also sentenced four others; Abibu Dagbana, Majeed Alhassan, Alhassan Sayibu and Imoro Gundaana to 36 years imprisonment each. The decision was taken by a seven-member jury - six men and one woman - who charged the accused persons for conspiracy to murder. Yahuza Yakubu was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder. The court also imposed a term of 10years imprisonment in hard labour on Habib Dagbana for causing unlawful harm to two persons namely Kasimu Shaibu Yahuza and Nuhu Fuseini. The convicted persons were represented by a team of lawyers led by Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahene and Lawyer Mohammed Shaibu Abdulai (Raw). Supporters of the two largest parties in the country clashed in front of the old butchers� house at the Tamale Central Market on February 17, 2009 after rising tensions boiled over. The accused persons and others at large were allegedly involved in sporadic shootings on that fateful day, which led to the death of one Abdul Rashid Mohammed with several others sustaining serious gunshot wounds. According to reports, in the course of the clash, 27 houses were burnt, vehicles, motorbikes and other valuables belonging to NPP members in Gumbihini, Choggu and other surrounding communities in the Tamale metropolis were also destroyed. The five were subsequently arrested and arraigned before court, but not before some political drama. The NPP held series of press conferences and protest marches following their arrest. Principal State Attorney, Salia Abdul-Quddus, who presented the facts of the case, told the court that on the February 17, 2009, the convicts who were members of the Kandaha Boys, a youth wing of the NPP based in Tamale, armed themselves with sophisticated weapons and attacked the butchers at the Central Slaughter House in Tamale who are also sympathisers of the NDC. The Prosecution said in the course of the attack, Yahuza Yakubu shot Abdul Rashid Mohammed (the deceased) in the jaw and he was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital where he died. It was during the attack that Habib Dagbana also shot Kasimu Shaibu Yahuza in the right leg and Nuhu Fuseini in the right leg and thigh. The matter was reported to the Police and all the convicts were arrested and after further investigations Yahuza Yakubu was charged with the offence. All the five convicts were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and Habib Dagbana was charged with two counts of causing unlawful harm.