ONE person died instantly and five others sustained gunshot wounds on Wednesday when supporters of two factions in a chieftaincy dispute at Portor in the Kintampo District clashed during an installation ceremony.
The dead has been identified as Madam Adisa Tokyi, 35, but the names of the injured persons, who are receiving intensive medical attention at the Kintampo Government Hospital, were not immediately available.
Violence was reported to have broken out soon after one of the factions, Chawa-Chawa Royal Family, installed one Kofi Pamfie as the Odikro of Portor.
Five houses belonging to both factions were set ablaze.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Mr Ahmadu Salifu, confirmed the incident in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani on Thursday.
He said there has been a long standing chieftaincy dispute between the Chawa-Chawa Family and the Bawa Mohammed family.
Mr Salifu said leaders of the two factions were invited to the police divisional headquarters at Wenchi on Tuesday for the settlement of the case, since their actions were fuelling tension in the town.
“But as soon as they emerged from the meeting, they started trading punches, in the full glare of the police,” he said.
Mr Salifu said the Divisional Commander directed that the leaders be arrested and put before court for their conduct.
He said that with tension still riding high, the Chawa-Chawa Family was said to have installed Pamfie as the Odikro, triggering a bloody gun battle between supporters of the two factions that led to the death of Madam Tokyi.
Mr Salifu said the injured are in serious condition, but could not tell to which factions they belong.
The police have not made any arrests but intensive investigations are underway.
