2 Killed, 50 Houses Burnt In Bunkpurugu Area

The Northern Regional Police Command has confirmed the killing of four people and the injury to others from gun-shots in a chieftaincy clash at Terma, a farming community in the Bunkprugu/Yunyoo District of the Northern Region. More than 50 compound houses and market sheds have also been burnt in the clash, which started in the early hours of yesterday. The Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Ebenezer Tetteh, told the Times that the Regional Police Commander, ACP Angwumbuntoge Awuni, was leading a contingent of police to the community to help curb the violence. Chief Inspector Tetteh said no arrest had been made yet but the police would not hesitate to deal firmly with the culprits after their investigations. He said the Regional Commander would give a full briefing to the media on the situation today. Unofficial sources attributed yesterday�s clash to a renewed dispute between sympathizers of a newly enskinned chief and some community leaders. According to Duut Langbon, a resident, there has been a raging dispute over the chieftaincy title in the community for which reason both the East Mamprusi and Bunkpurugu District Security Committees banned the installation of the chief. However, Nayiri Na Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, Paramount Chief of Mamprugu traditional area had allegedly defied the ban and gone ahead to enskin one of the contenders. This, the source said, sparked off tension resulting in the burning of 35 houses in January this year. Another source, a worker in the community, Sayibu Salifu, told the Times on telephone that he heard intermittent gun firing in the area and believed the factions were well armed which might escalate the tension if security was not beefed up soon.