I took a photograph of the burning body of the Ya-Na

One of the investigators in the Yendi crisis of March 2002 informed the Fast Track High Court (FTC) , trying 15 Abudus, including the former District Chief Executive of Yendi, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, over the murder of the Over Lord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, that he went undercover and took a photograph of the burning body of the King.

Detective Inspector Charles Adabah, who was re-called from peacekeeping in Darfur to give evidence in the trial, yesterday told the court, presided over by Justice Ayirebi, an Appeal court judge, with additional responsibility as a High court judge that he took that action after he had information that the OverLord of Dagbon was being set on fire.

According to witness, who was then stationed at the Yendi CID headquarters and who provided evidence of pictures of the charred body of the late Ya-Na, after taking the photograph, went back and organized to put the fire off.

The accused persons standing trial include Iddrisu Iddi, alias Mbadugu,  Alhaji Baba Abdulai Iddrisu, alias Zohe, Kwame Alhassan, alias Achiri, Mohammed Abdulai, alias Samasama, Sayibu Mohammed, Alhassan Braimah, Iddrisu Iddi and Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, the former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Yendi.

The rest are Alhassan Mohammed, alias Mohammed Cheampon, Abukari Nabeli, alias Kunkakums or Kooms, Mohammed Mustapha, Yakubu Yusif, alias Leftee, Abdul Razak Yussif, alias Nyaa and Shani Imoro.

While fourteen of the accused persons are facing charges of conspiracy in murdering the OverLord of Dabon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, another accused person, Zakaria Yakubu, who is currently at large, is facing a charge of murdering the Ya-Na.

The 14 accused persons had pleaded not guilty to conspiring in the murder of the Ya-Na as they are standing trial before a-seven-member jury.

Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II was murdered in March 2002, together with about 30 of his traditional elders during a three-day siege on his Gbewaa Palace, in what appeared to be caused by hostilities between the rival Andani and Abudu gates to the chieftaincy dispute.

Detective Inspector Adabah, then a Sergeant in the police service noted that on March 24, 2002, he was informed by the then Yendi Divisional Police Commander of a curfew in place and the banning of the fire festival, celebrated by the people of Yendi annually.

He told the court that on returning from Tamale on March 25, 2002, at about 6pm, he heard sporadic gun shots, when he was about to park at a parking lot near the Gbewaa Palace, which continued till the following day, adding that all police personnel in the township were told to be in uniform, when he went to the CID headquarters.

Detective Inspector Adabah pointed out that the police were not allowed to go to the barracks due to the consistency in the sound of gun shots in the town, however, he managed to commandeer a Ghana Education Service (GES) vehicle to accompany a colleague to the barracks, and on the way noticed that people had gathered in groups, and saw some people shot and injured as a result.

The witness, who provided a Police Special Investigative Report on the Yendi crisis, as evidence to the court, indicated that as they went along, he had been taking photographs of all the scenes they came across on their way, and during their investigation, of which he was part.

He further told the court that in the course of their investigations, a search conducted in the Palace revealed burnt AK47 riffle and sub machine guns, adding that another AK47 riffle was retrieved from the vehicle of the late Ya-Na, which a G3 weapon was retrieved from Abdulsalam Achana, a chief warrior to Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II.

Continuing his evidence, Detective Inspector Adabah noted that one Iddi, an Abudu, died at the Yendi Hospital, adding that 29 other dead bodies were sent to the hospital out of which 5 were sub-chiefs from the Andani gate.

He told the court that the dead bodies of the sub-chiefs were released to be buried in their house, 3 other corpses could not be identified, however, the burnt body, which was part of the corpses brought to the hospital morgue, was identified as Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II.

Detective Inspector Adabah noted that 21 dead bodies could not get space at the Yendi Hospital morgue since the facility takes only 8 corpses.

Witness pointed out that out of the 23 people buried in Sumwa, a suburb of Yendi, 20 belong to the Andani Royal gate, noting that the Special Police Investigative Report was completed and submitted to the Police Administration.

He further asserted that when the Wuako Commission was set up, he was attached to it, and during the commission's sittings; representatives of both Andani gate and the Abudu gate were in attendance until the last week of the commission's sittings, when the Andanis boycotted the event.

Meanwhile, concluding his evidence-in chief, Detective Inspector Augustus Nkrumah noted that 6 of the accused persons were identified by witnesses during an identification parade organized this year as people who conspired in killing the Ya-Na, while the rest were arrested individually.

During cross-examination conducted by Mr. Phillip Addison, counsel for the accused person, Detective Inspector Nkrumah noted that he had visited Yendi on 3 occasions after he took over with the investigations in April 2010, which resulted in the arrest of 9 persons.

According to him, since tension was still in Yendi, he was accompanied by the then Divisional Police Commander of the area as well as the army commander together with armed police and military personnel, when he visited the crime scene.

He pointed out that during his inspection at the crime scene, he identified burnt structures, including that of the Gbewaa Palace, adding that his enquiries revealed that the Ya-Na- died as a result of decapitation, even though he never met the pathologists, who examined the body of the late Ya-Na.

According to him, several houses were burnt during the crisis and he could not identify which one belonged to the Andanis or Abudus.

A question from the jury as to whether or not he visited the Bolelana's palace, Detective Inspector Nkrumah responded in the negative explaining that the issue at stake was based on the attack of the Gbewaa Palace.   Hearing has been adjourned to today, Oct 20 this year.