Bimbilla: Police search for dead bodies after fatal clashes

The Northern Regional Police Command has mounted a search to ascertain whether more people were killed in the sporadic shooting at Bimbila on Thursday afternoon through to the night. Police account suggests that two women were killed while eight others sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatments at the various health centers in the Region. But unconfirmed report gathered by 3news.com from Bimbilla indicates that six women and a child have died so far. Seventeen people have been arrested, according to the police. Gunshots were heard on Thursday afternoon after one faction in the longstanding chieftaincy dispute enskinned a warrior king. The capital town of the Nanumba North District has seen chieftaincy clashes for years and, as a result, has been under curfew since 2014. Giving background to the incident on Onua FM’s Yen Nsem on Friday, the outgoing Northern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ken Yeboah, explained that the regent of Bimbila is the son of the chief who was killed some years ago. He added that about two months ago, he [the Regent] wrote a letter to the police on his decision to enskin a ‘warrior chief’ in the town but was opposed by a faction. DCOP Ken Yeboah told Yen Nsempa host, Bright Asempa that the police wrote a letter to the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the District Security Council (DISEC) that the timing for enskinment was not appropriate but the regent said he has done all the necessary arrangements and cannot stop the enskinment. DCOP Ken Yeboah who is heading to the Ashanti Regional Police Command said he called the regent three days ago and told him to stop because stakes were high but he said he has enskinned some of the chiefs and nothing happened. The Commander added that he informed some former Ministers of state including the Regional Minister on the development who also came to persuade the regent to halt the enskinment but to no avail. DCOP Yeboah said he even spoke to the Regent yesterday to stop but he said he was going to talk to his people and get back to him by he realized there was tension in the town so he called him in the afternoon to stop but not knowing the Regent had already done the enskinment. He said all of a sudden the police heard gunshots in and around the remote areas of Bimbilla so the police called for re-enforcement from the military and the police from Tamale and Yendi to augment those already in Bimbilla. He added that a REGSEC meeting was quickly convened involving the Interior Minister and a curfew was imposed on the town. Court & Regional House of Chiefs DCOP Yeboah is therefore advising the Northern Regional House of Chiefs and the courts that are handling the chieftaincy litigations in Bimbilla to speed up their processes to ensure peace in the area. DCOP Yeboah says the protracted chieftaincy dispute is having a toll on the area and the earlier an amicable solution is found the better for the area and the people of Ghana. Currently, the case is being handled by both the courts and the Regional House of Chiefs, he said and asked that they speed up their proceedings because the outstanding issue is hurting the area. Closure of schools DCOP Yeboah said the place is calm but all schools were closed because students had to run away for their dear lives. He noted that everyone is afraid of coming out because some buildings were burnt. Advice to incoming police commander The outgoing Commander advised the incoming Regional Police Commander, ACP Patrick Adusei Sarpong, to liaise with the chiefs, security agencies and all the factions to ensure peace in the area. He noted that if one faction sees any security officer walking or talking to the other faction, they suspect the person is aligned with them and that is dangerous. By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|Onua 95.1FM|3news.com|Ghana]]>