Chief Imam in Tafo over bloody riots

Chief Imam Sheihk Usman Nuhu Sharabutu is in Old Tafo in the Ashanti Region to help bring peace between the Tafo Muslim community and traditional authorities in the area.

Skirmishes between the two led to the death of, at least, one person on Wednesday February 10.

The conflict started after some young men, on the orders of the Tafo Chief, pulled down a fence erected by the Muslims to hedge the cemetery from encroachment.

Young Muslim youth armed themselves with cudgels, double-edged machetes and other crude weapons and attacked the young men who pulled down the fence.

Several cars were vandalised, while a bank, a Mosque and six churches were set ablaze amidst riots and gunfire. Military and police officers had to be deployed to the area to maintain peace. A dusk-to-dawn curfew was also imposed to forestall reprisal attacks and an escalation of the violence.

The Chief Imam is intervening with his presence to urge the Muslim youth to remain calm and live with their neighbours in peace.