DCE fingered in 'wicked massacre'

Seven chiefs in the Gushiegu traditional area in the Northern Region have petitioned President J.A. Kufuor to set up Presidential Commission of Enquiry to delve into the circumstances that led to the gruesome murder of the Nnaangi-Lana, Ziblim Abukari.

According to the chiefs, the murder was geo-politically planned by those who did it to eliminate the Nnaangi-Lana, as he was seen as the heir-apparent to the Gushiegu skin.

The chiefs, who signed the petition, are Alhassan Mahama, Pllmo-Naa; Natogma Amidu, Yepalsi-Lana; Iddi Mahama, Kpatiti-Naa, and Ziblim Mabamadu, Zali-Naa.

The rest are Bllkari AI hassan, Waawuu-Naa; Mahama Yaklibu, Zaalibob-Naa, and Alhassan Wumbei, Zantil-Gundaa-Naa.

Apart from the President, the Speaker of Parliament, Minister of Defence, Minister for the Interior and the National Security Coordinator were also petitioned by the seven chiefs.

The seven chiefs accused the District Chief Executive of the area, Mahama Abukari, of master-minding the murder, together with some chiefs and opinion leaders in the area.

They said that they are reliably informed that the people involved in the gruesome murder would be granted bail by the police.

The chiefs said that the late Nnaangi-Lana never participated in any political activity and was always a law-abiding citizen and that his murder should not be politicized.

They called on the President to ensure that a full and comprehensive autopsy is carried out by a competent pathologist and his report made available to the family before the release of the body for burial.

In addition to that, the chiefs asked that adequate security should be provided for the family of Nnaangi-Lana for his burial, with full traditional burial rites befitting a chief.

According to the chiefs, the President should endeavour to help bring some relief to the family by heeding to the petition.

They said that when the needed attention is given to the petition, the rule of law will triumph over the falsehood that some people ate peddling all over the place.

The Nnaangi-Lana was murdered on September 1, this year, when political violence erupted at Kpatinga between the supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress.

The violence resulted in the burning and looting of houses, as well as the killing of innocent people.

A number of people were arrested at the time of the incident, but the police, after screening and investigations, left some of them off the hook because they were not part of the violence.