Government Assures Of Hunting Bimbila Killers

The government on Monday assured the elders and people of Bimbila, and Nanum in general, that no stone would be left unturned to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators who allegedly killed Na Dasana Andani, chief of Bimbilla last Thursday. Mr Mark Woyongo, Defence Minister, who gave the assurance in Bimbila when he led a high-powered government delegation to the area, said President John Mahama was having sleepless nights over the alleged murder of the chief and four others. President Mahama has, therefore, instructed the National Security to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves, to immediately identify, arrest and bring all the perpetrators to book to serve as deterrent to others. The delegation included the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, Northern Regional Minister, Deputy Interior Minister, James Agalga, and some senior security personnel. The purpose of the visit was to convey government�s condolences to the elders and people of Bimbila for the loss of the chief and four others, and to assess the security situation of the area. Mr Woyongo said, �We will find the perpetrators of this heinous act. For now they can run but they cannot hide forever. Wherever they are, we will smoke them out, and I am assuring the elders and people of this area that those who killed your chief would be arrested�. He, however, appealed to the people of Bimbila not to shield the perpetrators, but should volunteer information that could lead to the swift arrest and prosecution of the people to bring sanity to the area. Mr Woyongo expressed concern about the influx of arms and ammunition into the Northern Region, saying, �We are always crying of poverty but we have money to invest in guns instead of our children's education�. �In the past few weeks, there are worrying reports that guns are entering into the region indiscriminately. There is massive poverty in this part of the country, but the people are rather investing in guns for destruction of life and property�, he lamented. The Kpatihi Naa, Na Natogmah Azindow, an elder in the Palace of the late chief, commended government for the swiftness in arresting some of the perpetrators, and gave the assurance that the elders were ready to assist the security agencies to carry out their investigations. He said though the murder of the chief could be divine, it was important for government not to relent in its efforts of conducting thorough investigations to bring the perpetrators to book, to soothe the hearts of the bereaved families and the entire Nanum community. He said a similar thing happened before in the north where nothing concrete came out of it saying, �We are prepared to volunteer any information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators but we will not be happy if at the end of the day nothing is done to them�. Na Azindow mentioned one Alhaji Abukari Zakari as being one of those who masterminded the crime, and alleged that he (Zakari) had camped aliens in his house who they (Elders) suspected as being those who committed the crime, because they vanished as soon as the chief was murdered. Meanwhile, government has agreed to release the body of the chief for burial on Thursday, June 26, following a plea from the family of the late chief following the visit of Mr Woyongo on Monday.