The deceased, who is yet to be identified, was reportedly shot in a gun battle with the military after they tried to calm the situation following extensive damage to property.
A curfew has been imposed on Tamale following the attacks.
Rampaging youth of the NDC spared no building or shed with NDC inscriptions as they burnt all, giving fire personnel a hectic time. Erected billboards with portraits of President Mills and other NDC bigwigs were completely destroyed, while persons who tried opposing their actions were subjected to severe beatings.
Among properties destroyed included the regional secretariat of the party, the Tamale North, south and central constituency offices and prominent sheds which serve as meeting places for NDC in the region.
Before a combined team of armed police and military patrols arrived at the central business district, the youth mounted a road block and burnt lorry tyres amidst chanting “All Die be Die.”
This attracted some youth from other parts of the city, who were also on a vandalism spree until the security personnel showed up.
In the ensuing melee, a number of them fell into open drains and sustained various degrees of injury while the security officers chased them and lashed the deviant ones.
The youth’s actions were in response to the acquittal and discharge of 15 persons by an Accra Fast Track High court. They were arrested for allegedly killing the overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Yakubu Andani II in 2002.
The party’s youth said the president and the party’s leadership had reneged on their promises to find the killers of the chief.
It was against this backdrop that they took to the streets and vandalized party property running into thousands of Ghana cedis.
The youth of the party, after the court’s decision, started destroying party property on sight.
The Minister of the Interior, on the advice of the Northern Regional Security Council, yesterday imposed a curfew on Tamale and its environs with effect from Tuesday, March 29, 2011.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by the Minster, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor said, “The curfew hours for the Tamale Metropolis are from 11pm to 6am hours each day.”
It said the imposition of the curfew was in response to acts of vandalism by sections of the youth in Tamale following a court ruling in respect of the murder of the late King of Dagbon.
“Government wishes to assure (Ghanaians) that it is committed to ensuring justice for all and appeals to the youth to exercise restraint and allow the due process of the law to take its course.”
Though Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) is yet to officially comment on the matter, DAILY GUIDE gathered that a high-powered security delegation would be visiting the region to access the extent of damage.
Security patrols have been stepped up within the city to avert further skirmishes but Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Ebenezer Tetteh disclosed to DAILY GUIDE that no arrest had been made.
It would be recalled that 15 suspects accused of murdering Ya Na Yakubu Andani II late Tuesday afternoon were released by the Accra Fast Track High Court presided over by Justice E.K Ayebi for want of evidence. Mohammed Habib Tijani, former Yendi District Chief Executive, Iddrisu Iddi, 76, Alhaji Baba Iddrisu Abdulai, 54, Kwame Alhassan, 53, and Mohammadu Abdulai, 57 are among those released.
The rest are Saibu Mohammed, 34, Alhassan Mohammed Braimah, 40, Alhassan Ibrahim, Mohammed Mustapha, Baaba Ibrahim, Yakubu Usifu, Ahmed Abukari, Abdul Razak Usifu and Alhassan Braimah and Sani Moro who were arrested and put before court for their alleged roles in the death of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II.
The government, in its fresh attempt to find the murderers, conducted a dawn swoop at Yendi, during which the suspects, among 41 other persons, were rounded up.
After screening them in Bimbilla, 33 were granted self-recognizance bail, while the rest were brought to Accra for trial.
Subsequently, others were arrested and also arraigned but the number was later downsized to 14 but were all released after a Fast Track High Court upheld a no case filed by counsel of the accused persons.
But the NDC youth say they are disappointed after being assured that the suspects, based on evidence available, would be convicted, only to be acquitted and discharged.
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