Man Butchered Over Land

A struggle over a state-owned land earmarked for sanitary purposes at Zongo, a suburb of the Tamale Metropolis, has turned bloody as one faction is calling for the blood of the opposing group.

As a result, Shamuna Illiasu has suffered multiple machete wounds after hoodlums subjected him to severe beatings and tried to butcher him for allegedly resisting their claim over the land.

Though he has since been discharged from the Tamale Teaching Hospital, police are yet to take an official statement from him before investigations into the matter could commence to unravel those behind the dastardly act.

The area in question, according to DAILY GUIDE’s investigations, was used as a leather turnery (Majema) for training residents who wanted to acquire skills in producing leather products.

The Zongo leather turnery centre was believed to have been owned by the entire community, as a result no individual resident could lay claim to it since its establishment five decades ago.

Younger generations from the area have benefitted from its immense potential as a tourist centre.

Until now, all beneficiaries and residents treated the plot of land as the community’s until there was a split following concerns by one faction that the land belonged to their ancestors.

A counter group, of which Shamuna Illiasu is a member, opposed the suggestion and insisted that the land which the facility stood on was owned by the entire community, as all members were made aware of several years ago.

This caused tension within the Zongo area, forcing the chief of Zongo, Sheihu Dalhu Abdul-Mumin, to summon the groups separately to calm the raging tension.

After series of deliberations, Sheihu Abdul-Mumin told DAILY GUIDE, they found out that the parcel of land in question was state-owned and earmarked for sanitary purposes.

The chief therefore appealed to the various factions to desist from claiming ownership of a parcel of land that was temporarily housing a facility both camps were direct beneficiaries of, urging them to peacefully co-exist.

Dissatisfied with the chief’s ruling, the group claiming ownership went to the Changli Chief and allegedly succeeded in convincing him to demarcate a portion of the land for them.

After granting their request, some pillars were erected on some portions of the land and on hearing this, the counter group went and destroyed them, maintaining that the ruling of the Zongo Chief should stay.

Their act infuriated the claimants, who took sharpened machetes and other life-threatening objects and went looking for members who reportedly destroyed their pillars.

It was during one of these searches that they chanced upon the victim and started attacking him with machetes.

Shamuna Illiasu fought for his life as he managed to beat three of his attackers. He however started bleeding profusely moments later and fell unconscious.

Onlookers run to his rescue and rushed him to the hospital, by which time the perpetrators of the act had absconded.

He disclosed to DAILY GUIDE he would be able to make out some of his attackers, promising to furnish the police with the necessary information.

When the paper visited his residence he was responding to treatment but disclosed that he was yet to give his statement to the police, who had so far been helpful.

Meanwhile, Sheihu Dalhu Abdul-Mumin has condemned the action of the splinter group, accusing them of being greedy.