Three testify in Ya-Na's assassination case

Three Prosecution Witnesses on Wednesday gave evidence at a High Court in Accra when hearing of the case in which two persons are charged with the assassination of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, Paramount Chief of the Dagbon Traditional Area, began.

Yidana Sugri and Iddrisu Gyanfo, both farmers, are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murdering the Ya-Na.

They have denied the charges and the court presided over by Mr Justice Yaw Appau, has refused them bail.

Led in evidence by the Principal State Attorney, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, the first Prosecution Witness, Iddrisu Mutawakil, a first year student of the Tamale Polytechnic, told the court that he lived at the Gbewaa Palace with the late Ya-Na.

Mutawakil said on March 24, 2000, there was news that a curfew was to be imposed in the area, one day before the people of Yendi were to celebrate their annual Bumgum festival.

Prior to the celebration, Ya-Na called the District Chief Executive (DCE) to enquire from him why the curfew was being imposed.

He said the DCE did not turn up, but the then Regional Minister (Prince Imoru Andani) came later.

When the Regional Minister arrived, Mutawakil said, he told Ya-Na that he was not aware of the imposition of the curfew and advised the Ya-Na and his subordinates to go ahead to celebrate the festival peacefully.

The Witness said the late Ya-Na gave assurance to the Minister that peace was going to be maintained during the festival.

He said the Regional Minister later met the Bolin-Na (Leader of the Abudu Family) at his palace from where he heard people hooting. The following day the Regional Minister left for Tamale.

On the same day, an Ex-Zalankolana, Mba Dugu, an Elder, and his son came to inform the late Ya-Na that his son was attacked. The Ya-Na then asked them to report the matter to the Police.

At about 1000 hours in the morning of the same day, Mutawakil said, he heard gunshots and rumours that the Abudu's were going to attack the Gbewaa Palace.

The Witness further stated that shooting began at 1300 hours and ended at about 1500 hours.

Mutawakil said the shooting resumed later in the night and continued until the following day. He said under the circumstances the late Ya-Na asked them to flee the Gbewaa Palace.

Mutawakil stated that they fled and sought refuge at a Prison's Quarters.

The Witness said he peeped through a window and saw Yidana, the first accused, dancing with the hand of the late Ya-Na tied with a rope.

During cross-examination by Nana Obiri Boahene, who represented the two accused persons, Mutawukil rejected suggestions that he was among those, who armed themselves with sophisticated weapons to attack the Bolin-Na and the Abudus.

He disagreed with Counsel that the evidence that he gave was to give the Andanis the trump card in a war between the two factions.

Mr Abukari Amadu, a teacher and Master Alhassan Yakubu, a student, also testified.

Mr Amadu told the court that after the death of the Ya Na, he went to Tamale on March 27, 2002 and narrated the matter to his relatives.

He said he informed some people in Tamale to arrest the first accused person, Sugri when they set eyes on him, adding that he managed to cause his arrest later.

During cross-examination, Amadu agreed that when he went to Tamale, he was taken care of by Mr Ibrahim Mahama, a Lawyer, but denied that he collected money from him to enable him to implicate government officials in his report to the Police.

He said it was not true that when Mr Mahama went to the Gbewaa Palace, he wore light blue suit and also drove in a pick-up.

Master Yakubu said he saw two people holding the Ya-Na to the ground at the Gbewa Palace, adding that he also saw somebody holding a gallon and pouring something on the Chief, but could not tell if the Chief was dead at the time.

Master Yakubu said he saw smoke from the palace. He disagreed with Counsel that he was among those that the late Ya-Na recruited to be given military training behind the Yendi cemetery.

Yakubu also denied having knowledge about an armoury in the Ya-Na's Palace. He also denied that he had the keys to it.

Earlier, Mr Gyambiby, told the court that prior to the celebration of the Bugum festival, "a Muslim fire festival," the security situation deteriorated at Yendi.

As a result, he said, the Regional Security Council on the orders of the National Security Council imposed a dusk to down curfew on the people and the celebration of the Festival was banned.

The Prosecution said on Sunday, March 24, 2002, the Northern Regional Minister lifted the ban on the celebration.

The following day, Abdulai Ziblim, the Mbadugu of the late Ya Na, sent his son Ziblim Abdulai to call his second in command, Duguwulana to the Gbewaa Palace for the celebration of the festival.

The Prosecution said Ziblim reported that the Abudu's had attacked him and destroyed his bicycle. The matter was reported to the Ya Na, who asked that a complaint should be made to the Police.

Later, gunshots were heard in the vicinity of the Gbewaa Palace, from the direction of the Abudu's. This sparked off hostilities between the Abudus and Andanis resulting in exchange of fire between them.

Mr Gyambiby stated further that the shooting intensified, during which the Gbewaa Palace and the nearby houses were set ablaze.

The situation became critical and the late Ya-Na and a few elders, who were left behind escaped from the palace through the main gate, but they were gunned down.

Some youths, who were with the Ya-Na, however, escaped and hid behind the Palace to observe the events.

The Prosecution said while there, they saw the dead body of the Ya-Na being dragged to a spot about 50 metres from the Palace.

The Prosecution said the youth saw Sugri carrying around his neck, the severed arm of the Ya-Na bearing a wristwatch and dancing to drum beat.

Sugri dared any Andani, who was brave to go forward to collect it. All along, he was heard by some of the youth saying: "I have conquered the Ya-Na."

The Prosecution said Gyanfo was also seen carrying the severed head of Ya-Na stuck on a spear.