We want justice - Group demands of government following murder of woman in Bimbilla

A group calling itself, House Wives Association of Bimbilla of the Nanumba North District of the Northern Region has petitioned government to seek justice for one woman who was murdered in her room whiles taking her supper.

Mrs. Rahinatu Alhassan Bediako was murdered in cold blood on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, in her room whiles taking her supper as a result of chieftaincy crisis of the area.

Since Mrs. Alhassan Bediako met her untimely death, no arrest has therefore been made.

The group is, therefore, seeking justice for the family of the deceased.

In the petition, the leadership of the group is calling government through the security agencies to come to their aid and set up investigation team to bring the perpetrators to book.

"This act, among similar previous murders of women in Bimbilla, must be investigated and the perpetrators of these heinous crimes be brought to justice", they emphasized.

According to them, "There is, therefore, no justification whatsoever for the continuous murder of women who have absolutely nothing to gain in the Bimbilla chieftaincy issue".

They added, "That we pray that the good Lord touches the 'hardened' hearts of our husbands and brothers of Bimbilla to see the need for a peaceful resolution of the Bimbilla Chieftaincy issue".

People would be recalled that this chieftaincy issue started as far back as 2002 after the performance of the funeral of the late overlord of the Nanumba Traditional Area, Naa Abarika Attah II who had passed on in 1999.

Below is the full petition

PETITION ON THE GRUESOME MURDERS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN BIMBILLA

This petition is prepared for, and on behalf of all the women and children as well as the many innocent men and workers in Bimbilla to draw government’s attention to the unbearable suffering and hardships they go through in the on-going protracted chieftaincy crisis in the town.

It is no secret that this crisis has led to several lost of lives and property and, a large number are internally displaced in the community.

We recall that this chieftaincy crisis started as far back as 2002 after the performance of the funeral of the late overlord of the Nanumba Traditional Area, Naa Abarika Attah II who had passed on in 1999. We also wish to state that in the over several hundreds of years in the history of the chieftaincy institution of the Nanumba Traditional Area, there had been disputes in the succession process, anytime a Bimbilla Naa was to be enskinned

And in almost all these cases, there had been peaceful and amicable settlement to any issue or dispute that may have arisen at the time without even a stone throw. The people of Nanung lived in peace and harmony as one family with a common destiny.

So what has changed this time that our traditional leaders have failed to resolve whatever difference they have, so as to amicably address the current chieftaincy crisis? We have endured the suffering for so long and are continuously bearing the brand of their differences. It is a common knowledge that in the culture of Nanung, it is a taboo and a great sin for any person to kill women or children in a war situation.

What has indeed changed and women and children have become the common target for men of Bimbilla to slaughter like fowls.

We, the women of Bimbilla are grossly outraged at the continuous killing of women and children without any provocation.

We think that we have no role, and stand to gain nothing in the Bimbilla chieftaincy crisis. We are tired of the constant harassment and maltreatment of women in Bimbilla. We live in perpetual fears with our families because we do not know who the next target would be.

It is in the light of the above that we are making these passionate appeals to the government as follows:

That we wish to make an urgent appeal to the security services in Bimbilla to speed up its investigation into the gruesome and barbaric murder of our mother, sister and aunty, Mrs. Rahinatu Alhassan Bediako who was murdered in cold blood on Tuesday 12th December 2017 in her room whiles taking her supper.

This act, among similar previous murders of women in Bimbilla must be investigated and the perpetrators of this heinous crimes be brought to justice. We further demand that the police and security services involved in these investigations must make their findings public and transparent to curtail the current rumours being peddled to the public by unknown individuals thereby further raising tension in the community.

Indeed, we wish to call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take active interest in the murder of Mrs. Rahinatu Bediako by sending a team of forensic investigators to assist the Police in Bimbilla to unravel the mystery surrounding her (Mrs. Rahinatu’s) brutal murder.

That, it is of common knowledge that the Bimbilla Chieftaincy dispute is currently at the Supreme Court of Ghana awaiting adjudication.

We wish to passionately appeal to the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Mrs. Gloria Akuffo, to, as a matter of urgency, empanel members to thoroughly examine and give a final verdict on the matter. By doing so, Her Ladyship would be saving the lives of her fellow colleague women in Bimbilla. Again, we wish to call on the feuding factions in the Bimbilla Chieftaincy dispute to graciously accept the verdict of the Supreme Court when it is finally delivered.

That the men of Bimbilla, especially sympathizers of the two feuding factions, must desist from killing women in the name of chieftaincy disputes because no woman has ever, and will never become a Bimbilla Naa. It is not because we are (as women) incapable of becoming Bimbilla Naa, but the customs and traditions debar us from such. There is therefore no justification whatsoever for the continuous murder of women who have absolutely nothing to gain in the Bimbilla chieftaincy issue.

That, leadership of the two feuding factions, namely; N-Yeb Nyelinbolugu Naa Yakubu Andani Dassana and N-Yeb Sung Lana Salifu Dawuni must bring pressure to bear on their sympathizers to respect the rights and dignity of women and stop killing us.

That as a final step, and to demonstrate our seriousness on our position, the women, (regarding this chieftaincy issue in Bimbilla), shall hit the streets of Bimbilla again, if the Supreme Court fails to give its verdict by the end of March 2018. This time however, we shall strip ourselves naked on the streets of Bimbilla to make the Supreme Court know how determined we are to protect our lives and to live in peace as other women do in other parts of this country.

That we wish to express our heart-felt gratitude to all the security agencies in Bimbilla for their continuous sacrifice to keep the peace of the town. We are calling on the general public to assist the Police and all the security agencies to track down and arrest the criminal(s) involved in the animalistic murder of our mother and sister, Mrs. Rehinatu Bediako.

That we pray that the good Lord touches the ‘hardened’ hearts of our husbands and brothers of Bimbilla to see the need for a peaceful resolution of the Bimbilla Chieftaincy issue.

Finally, we demand absolute peace in Bimbilla now, and forever.

Thank you.

Your women-living-in-fear,

Iddisah Zehiratu (Hon.)

Chairperson

(Suglo Women’s Group)

Hajia Amadu Maria

Chairperson

(Faako Ladies)

Madam Alhassan Zulfawu

Chairperson

(Gmantambu Ladies)

Cc:

The Inspector General of Police

Ghana Police Service

Police Headquarters

Accra

Mba Nyelibolugu Naa Yakubu Andani Dassana Abdulai II

Bimbilla

Mba Sung Lana Salifu Dawuni

Bimbilla

The District Commander

Ghana Police Service

Bimbilla

The District Director

B N I

Bimbilla

The Commander

Military Detachment

Bimbilla