One killed, five injured in kpatinga chieftaincy conflict

One person died while five others sustained injuries in chieftaincy clashes at Kpatinga, a community in the Gushegu Municipality in the Northern Region.

The deceased and the injured were part of 20 armed men who were alleged to have fired shots at the police patrol team which compelled the police to return fire.

Three persons were also arrested following the shooting incident yesterday morning, bringing the total number of persons arrested to five. The two were arrested last Saturday.

Casualties

The number of the people injured has also risen from four to five, with one sustaining gunshot wounds.

He is receiving treatment at the Gushegu Government Hospital, while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the same hospital's morgue.

Displaced persons

Several houses have also been torched, forcing some of the residents, especially women and children, to flee the area following intermittent gunfire exchanges between the feuding factions in the chieftaincy dispute, in spite of the deployment of police and military personnel to maintain law and order.

Confirmation

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Northern Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Mohammed Yusif Tanko, who confirmed the latest incident, said at about 8 a.m. yesterday, while the police were on patrols in the Kpatinga community, they received information that some houses had been set on fire at the blind side of the security personnel.

He said the police patrol team quickly moved to the area where they met about 20 young men, with some wielding AK 47 rifles, while others had single barrel guns.

DSP Tanko said as soon as they saw the police approaching, they shot at them, compelling the police to return fire.

He said one person was shot dead, with others sustaining gunshot wounds, while three others were arrested, adding that five weapons were retrieved.

The PRO added that police and military presence would be maintained in the area to ensure that innocent persons were protected.

He said the security forces would do everything within their mandate to restore normalcy.

REGSEC /Chief

Meanwhile, the Chief of Kpatinga, Fusieni Ziblim, has called for investigations into the shooting incident that erupted last Friday so that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Saeed, who is also the chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), gave an assurance that measures had been put in place to forestall a reoccurrence.

He said the REGSEC would deal ruthless with those who wanted to foment trouble in the area to derail the current peace in the Dagbon Traditional Area.

Background

Kpatinga is one of the communities under the Dagbon traditional area.

There are two rival chiefs in Kpatinga, with each holding himself as chief of Kpatinga and has the right to enskin
sub-chiefs.

The funeral of a sub-chief was scheduled for last week and was expected to be completed last Friday.

As part of the tradition, the relatives of the deceased sub-chief would have to go to the chief of the area for some rituals to be performed.

Instead of the family of the deceased sub-chief visiting the chief's palace, they went to the chiefs’ contender, who is the regent of the area, resulting in the confusion.