Two die in electoral violence at Jakpahi

Tamale, Dec 09, GNA - There was violence in some parts of the Northern Region during the elections and security personnel said they are working around the clock to bring the situation under control.

The trouble spots are Jakpahi and Tolon in the Tolon/Kumbungu District, Nanton in the Savelugu Nanton District, Zabzugu in the Zabzugu/Tatale District and Yapei in the Central Gonja District.

At Jakpahi one person was shot dead and the man who fired the shot was lynched. Two others who sustained serious injuries are on admission at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Four Motor bicycles were burnt during the mob action.

Police Superintendent John Frederick Wilson, Northern Regional Crime Officer, mentioned the names of the deceased as Anifa Abu and Yakubu Nabari.

The two injured persons are Mohammed Joshua and Abukari Zakaria. voters.

They ordered the Presiding officer not to allow some voters he claimed were minors to vote but the officer said he could not stop them from voting since they held valid voter identification cards. In the ensuing argument Abu fired a shot, killing Nabari. The villagers beat him to death and burnt the four motorbikes. At Tolon, a group of youth attacked a ballot boxes collection point and damaged 18 ballot boxes.

A day to the elections, some unidentified persons attacked the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Tolon Constituency, Mr Abdul-Razak Umar.

Reports from Zabzugu, Nanton and Yapei speak of similar attacks by the youth but the Police gave the assurance that the situation was under control.