Rioters in Tamale communal violence arraigned

One-hundred and ninety suspected rioters in the communal violence, which erupted in Tamale on Tuesday were on Friday arraigned at a circuit court in Tamale.

They were charged with rioting and causing damage to eleven houses in the municipality.

The suspects who pleaded not guilty to the charge were remanded until May 6.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Superintendent Joshua W. Panada, told the court presided over by Mr Justice Mohammed Nabong that on April 23, this year, the police received information that there was rioting in the Tamale Municipality upon which a combined team of the police and the military was dispatched to the scene.

He said the team, which met the accused persons at various places setting houses on fire managed to arrest some of them.

The prosecutor pleaded with the court to remand them in prisons custody to enable the police to complete their investigations since peace would not be assured if the accused were released on bail.

Counsel for the defence, Mr Alhassan Yahaya Seini , however pleaded with the court to grant them bail to enable them to go home and to attend hospital since most of them had been injured in the rioting and needed medical attention.

His application was overruled by the court and the presiding judge ordered that the police sent all the accused persons with injuries to the hospital for treatment.

Some of the accused persons had wounds on their heads, cheeks and bodies Among them were three persons who were identified as mentally ill, an amputee and a number of teenagers.

Earlier, at a press briefing, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Ernest Debrah, denied that some of the accused persons had died in custody.

He also denied that arrests were made selectively, saying "arrests are made based on complaints from victims and not on chieftaincy or political considerations."

The Regional Minister said a delegation from the Andani Gate had expressed concerned about the violence in the municipality and presented a list of complaints to the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for consideration.

The contents of the complaints were however not disclosed to the press.

Asked why the Zobogu-Naa, Yakubu Abdulai was arrested, the Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Akrofi Asiedu, said "If a chief breaks curfew or misconducts himself or is mentioned for supporting crime, he should be arrested for questioning."

He denied that the police brutalised the accused persons, saying, "my men were told not to manhandle any accused persons."