The Ya-Na murder case • It was a battle between Abudus, Andanis - Report

October 21, 2010 (Page 51)

A POLICE report issued after investigations into the Yendi conflict and subsequent murder of the Ya-Na and a number of his elders states that there was a war between the Abudus and Andanis.
According to the report, the Andanis were overpowered by the Abudus after they ran out of ammunition.
The report, which was read to the Accra Fast Track High Court by an investigator in the case, Mr Charles Adaba, added that the Wuaku Commission report also quoted a witness as saying that the Regent of Tamale organised a Mercedes Benz bus parked with warriors to fight on behalf of the Ya-Na in the three-day conflict which resulted in the death of the Ya-Na and 30 other persons in March 2002.
Fifteen persons are standing trial for playing various roles resulting in the murder of the Ya-Na. They are Iddrisu Iddi, alias Mbadugu; Alhaji Baba Abdulai, alias Zohe; Kwame Alhassan, alias Achiri; Mohammed Abdulai, alias Samasama; Sayibu Mohammed; Alhassan Braima and Zakaria Yakubu, alias Zakaria Forest, who is currently on the run.
The rest are Mohammed Habib Tijani, the former District Chief Executive of Yendi; Baba Ibrahim, alias Baba Zey; Alhassan Mohammed, alias Mohammed Cheampon; Mohammed Mustapha; Shani Imoro; Yakubu Yusif, alias Leftee; Hammed Abukari Yussif and Abdul Razak Yussif, alias Nyaa Dagbani.
All the accused persons, except Zakaria Yakubu, have been charged with conspiracy to murder and have pleaded not guilty to the charge. Zakaria has been charged with murder.
Answering questions under cross-examination from the lead counsel for the accused persons, Mr Philip Addison, Detective Inspector Adaba told the court that from the Wuaku Commission’s report, it was difficult to particularly state who shot and killed the Ya-Na.
The investigator further stated that it also emerged during investigations that 10 bodies recovered after the conflict did not originate from Bawku but from surrounding communities, adding that three bodies were not identified at all.
According to him, the bodies were scattered in, outside and some metres away from the Gbewaa Palace, adding that although a body of an Abudu was recovered, he could not tell if there were more Abudu casualties.
Mr Adaba said he could not tell if Abudus picked up their dead relatives for burial because the bodies were scattered in twos or more and each time his team arrived to pick the bodies, he observed some had been taken away already.
According to the witness, the police report also cited five persons who later turned out to be prosecution witnesses as warriors for the Ya-Na.
He also told the court that the former DCE wore an ordinary attire when he arrived at the police station to hand over his vehicle on the day of the conflict contrary to an earlier evidence from some prosecution witnesses that the former DCE wore a bullet proof attire on the day of the incident.
Counsel: Did you see the former DCE when he arrived at the police station that day?
Witness: Yes, I saw him. His driver handed over the keys to his vehicle to me and I in turn handed the keys over to my Divisional Commander. I do not know when the keys were handed over to the former DCE.
Counsel: Did it come to your notice the Ya-Na had a training camp where he trained warriors?
Witness: People gave statements to that effect.
Counsel: Did you visit the training grounds?
Witness: Yes, my Lord.
Counsel: From your investigations, what was the reaction of the Abudus when they were told the curfew had been lifted?
Witness: They were not happy.
Counsel: From your investigations, what was the reaction of the Andanis when they were told the curfew had been lifted and the ban on the celebration of the fire festival had been lifted?
Witness: From our investigations, the Andanis were okay.
Mr Adaba said from the Wuaku Commission’s report on the pathologist’s testimony, it was not conclusive that the only charred body was that of the Ya-Na.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice E. K. Ayebi, granted permission to the former DCE to write his examinations at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from October 22 to 23, 2010 under police escort.
Sitting resumes on Monday, October 25, 2010.