Some youths of the Andani and Abudu gates in Accra clashed on April 21 at the premises of the Accra Regional Police Commanding shortly after their leaders had come out of a meeting with the Regional Police Command.
The youths, however, managed to escape from the police when an order was given that they should be apprehended. Instead their leaders were arrested to give statement s to the police. The invitation of the leaders to the regional police headquarters followed a series of clashes between members of the two gates at Kokomba market in Accra over differences in drumming and alleged provocations. The clash is said to be the fourth in recent times.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kofi Boakye, the Accra Regional Police Commander, said information reaching the police indicated that the two gates had been using festive occasions to cast insinuations at each other. He said that usually resulted in clashes between members of the two gates, with the attendant disturbances of other traders. He said it came out from initial discussions that the leader of the Andanis at the Kokomba Market, Maame Lulo Malugnunaa, had kicked against drumming in the area, since it was against Dagomba custom for either gate to play drums after the death of a Ya-Na.
Mr. Boakye said it also emerged that the Andani?s claimed that they are members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while the Abudu?s belonged to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and often use party arguments to fight. He said before organizing any event, either gate would invite some of their members from Nima and Ashaiman to come and beef up their numbers.
Mr. Boakye said immediately they left his office, a man. Who was identified only as Mohammed, an Andani cast an insinuation at members of the Abudu gate and that made the youths, who had followed their leaders to the place clash. He warned that that Accra Police Command would not allow any group of persons to disturb the peace through ethnic or tribal clashes.
ACOP Boakye said the James Town police had been mandated to monitor the situation and arrest anyone who attempts to disturb peace. We will not tolerate any violence, especially those emanating along political or tribal lines, he sated and urged the good people of Accra to condemn any such conflicts.
