Rampaging youth of the New Patriotic Party at Karaga in the Northern region angrily stormed the chief’s palace Friday night demanding his intervention before threatening of aggressive response after news of arrest of the chairman, secretary reached them.
Nearly 50 army of angry supporters of the constituency chairman run up to the Chief of the area seeking clearance and support to hit the street and pour out resentment over the arrest of the chairman who was in his way to Karaga with others after brushing off an invitation by the police regional command.
Tahiru Zakaria and three others including the acting secretary of the NPP, Abdulai Zakaria were intercepted at a village near Karaga by armed police and brought back to Tamale to answer questions on their alleged roles in a two violence that has uprooted the DCE and the local director of Youth Employment Agency from the area.
The arrested also included: Baba Ali Osman and Mohammed Alhassan whose details the police did not divulge.
They were arrested after regional executives persuaded them to come to Tamale for a party meeting at the Fuo residence of Bugri Naabu.
Top party regional leaders including the Minister and Bugri Naabu all fled out of the region immediately the chairman and his alleged accomplices arrived in the region for the meeting, leaving them under the surveillance of the regional police.
After several hours in the regional capital, the chairman realised the meeting was a sham and decided to travel back home ignoring the invitation by the police.
They were however chased by armed police and arrested at a village only a few metres to the district capital where malnutrition still remains a deadly canker.
All the four, according to police, were identified by the District Chief Executive, Mohammed Yabdoo, as those behind the Wednesday disturbances among the party members over jobs grievances.
“The chairman had earlier refused to honour an invitation from the Regional Police Command to assist in police investigations. They are currently in custody” , Regional Police spokesman, ASP Mohamed Yussif Tanko clarified in a statement to reporters.
Multiple sources familiar with the ongoing political violence in the impoverished town reported of rising tensions and uncertainty.
Supporters of the chairman who flooded the chief palace immediately after the arrest according to the sources demanded a permission to vent mayhem, but the chief reportedly turned down the demand and urged for calm and dialogue.
Police is yet to officially press charges against the chairman and his cohorts.
Clashes between supporters of divided constituency executives last three days resulted in the burning of a motorbike belonging to YEA and shutting down of the DCE office.
The DCE and the local director fled the town and refused to return despite assurances by police that their offices have been secured.
By: Kasapafmonline.com/Eliasu Tanko