A woman has been killed and a soldier is recovering from gunshot wounds after a long-simmering chieftaincy dispute in Bunkprugu, North East Region of Ghana, erupted into violence over the weekend. The clashes were triggered by an illegal enskinment ceremony, which defied a court order. Police have launched a manhunt for seven suspects, including Melchizedek Babotin Musah, who was allegedly enskinned as a rival chief by members of the Jamong Family.
According to reports, the illegal installation took place on Saturday at a secluded location, despite an existing court order restraining the group from proceeding with the ceremony. The court order was secured by police on September 9 against Nyanu Yogbat and six others, barring them from enskinning a rival chief. This was not the first attempt to install a rival chief, as an earlier attempt on August 18 was halted by the North East Regional Security Council.
The clashes between rival factions occurred later on Saturday, resulting in the death of a woman. When security forces intervened to calm the situation, gunmen opened fire on a military vehicle, wounding a soldier who was subsequently evacuated to a hospital in Bolgatanga for treatment. The suspects fled Bunkprugu shortly after the violence broke out and are now being pursued as investigations continue.
The chieftaincy dispute between the Jamong and Jafouk families has been ongoing since 2016. The Jamong Family has been pushing to remove the sitting chief, Naa Abuba Nasinmong of the Jafouk Family, after the National House of Chiefs ruled in their favour earlier this year. However, the Nayiri, who holds enskinning authority in the area, has reaffirmed his support for Naa Nasinmong, deepening the rift between the two camps.
The latest violence is a new flashpoint in the long-standing dispute, with rival factions repeatedly attempting to assert their claims to the stool. The police are actively searching for those behind the latest unrest, with ASP Emmanuel Simtim confirming that officers are working to identify everyone responsible for the violence. He stated that calm had returned to Bunkprugu and that the situation was under control.
The breach of the injunction, the rival enskinment, the woman's death, and the shooting of the soldier are all under investigation. No court date or timeline for resolving the underlying chieftaincy dispute has been announced. For residents of Bunkprugu, the unresolved rivalry between the Jamong and Jafouk families means the risk of further unrest remains, with security forces already having been drawn into direct confrontation with armed factions.
The police's efforts to restore calm and order in the area are ongoing, with a focus on identifying and apprehending those responsible for the violence. The situation remains volatile, with the potential for further clashes between rival factions. The authorities have urged calm and restraint, but the underlying tensions between the Jamong and Jafouk families continue to pose a challenge to peace and stability in the region.
Key points
- Police hunt seven suspects, including Melchizedek Babotin Musah, after illegal enskinment triggers deadly clashes in Ghana's North East Region
- Chieftaincy dispute between Jamong and Jafouk families has been ongoing since 2016
- Woman killed and soldier shot in clashes, with investigations ongoing into breach of injunction and rival enskinment
