The bizarre Ya-Na murder case...41 PICKED UP IN SWOOP (LEAD STORY, APRIL 12, 2010)

Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Yendi

IN a fresh attempt by the government and the security and law enforcement agencies to find the killers of the late Dagbon King, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, and a number of his elders, 41 people were picked up in a dawn swoop in Yendi last Saturday for questioning.
After initial screening in Bimbilla, 33 were given self-recognisance bail, while six, including some of the leaders of the Abudu Royal Family in the Dagbon chieftaincy divide, were sent to Accra to assist in further investigation into the bizarre murder which occurred on March 27, 2002.
The incident sent shock waves throughout the country.
Two others who were in possession of locally manufactured guns were sent back to Yendi to be put before court for possession of weapons in a prohibited area.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Northern Regional Police Command, Chief Inspector Ebenezer Tetteh, who briefed journalists on the arrest in Tamale last Saturday, declined to disclose the names of the six suspects for security reasons.
The arrest of the suspects generated uneasy calm in Yendi on Saturday, leading to the burning of car tyres by some angry youth as a sign of protest.
However, the timely intervention by the security agents prevented the situation from degenerating into chaos.
At the moment, there is uneasy calm in Yendi, even though people are going about their normal business. Military and police personnel have, however, increased their presence and also intensified their patrols in Yendi, which is the traditional seat of the Dagbon Traditional Area.
Since the murder of the Dagbon Overlord in 2002, there has been relentless pressure on the government to find the perpetrators.
In the run-up to the 2008 general election, the NDC, then in opposition, promised to arrest and prosecute the alleged killers of the Ya-Na.
Since the party assumed office in January, 2009, the leadership of the Andani Royal Family has sent several reminders to the government and President John Evans Atta Mills to fulfil their campaign promise.
In the latest of such calls, the children of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani issued a two-month ultimatum to the government to find the killers of their father or face persistent protest.
Meanwhile, four persons were arrested in Yendi yesterday for their alleged involvement in causing public nuisance which nearly resulted in a riot in the municipality.
They were also alleged to have schemed in setting fire to the store of the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive.
The suspects — Aremeyaw Abubakari, Labran Fofo, Abubakari Alhassan and Abubakari Seidu — are being prepared for court for causing public nuisance.
One other suspect, known as Zoomnurse, is said to be on the run.
According to the Police PRO, the suspects were part of a group, numbering more than 400, who engaged in the burning of lorry tyres and the throwing of stones after the police had prevented them from holding a press conference at the Yendi Social Centre because of their failure to inform the police of their intended gathering.