Tension At Yendi As Military Arrests top Andani Chief

The Regent of Nakua near Gushegu in the Northern Region has reportedly been arrested by a heavily armed soldiers Sunday morning at Yendi, sparking fears of protest by the Andani chieftaincy faction in Tamale and Yendi.

The chief, a prison officer stationed at Gambaga, Sergeant Adam Bawa Mahama, performed his late father’s funeral three days ago and was in Yendi to officially inform the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuyana Abdulai Yakubu Andani, when he was picked up after a military raid at his residence.

The arrest comes after the security imposed “a no move order” on him two days ago when he informed them about his journey to the Gbewaa Palace to perform the ritual before the Kampakuyana at the Old Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.

It is not clear the motive behind the arrest but Starr News has gathered the security personnel were on their way with the chief to Tamale.

A spokesman for the Andani Family, Basharu Dabali has called for the immediate release of the chief, saying the family was being intimated and that the military should be made to account for any disturbances.

“Honestly speaking, they are intimidating us. They should release him now, other than that, they are provoking us and we shouldn’t be pushed to the wall. We will resist any intimidation, because there is no ban on funeral performance in Dagbon, so far as we are concerned. There is no ban! So when they are intimidating us, we will resist the intimidation and the security should be held responsible if anything should happen”, Dabali told Starr News.

Another Andani Family member in Tamale said they were mobilizing to flood the Tamale regional police headquarters and warned the security “they cannot be able to contain” them.

Some chiefs of the Andani Family had already rejected the decision by the Asantehene-led committee on the roadmap to peace in Dagbon.

The committee mediating the Dagbon conflict after 16 years of troubled peace talks, resolved last month to allow for the performance of the funerals of Yaa Naa Mahamadu Abdulai and Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II at the Gbewaa Palace.

The Abudu Family was to commence the performances on December 14 for Naa Abdulai Mahamadu followed by the Andanis in January next year for Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II.

But, the immediate family of the Yaa Naa Yakubu II, who was killed in clashes in 2002, and dozen of Andani chiefs, have rejected the decision and vowed not to cooperate with the committee in the ongoing mediation efforts.