The incident occurred on Thursday night when the victims had finished with their evening Islamic prayers, and were seated at a known public place.

According to eyewitnesses, two persons on a motorbike allegedly shot at them and sped off. It is unclear what may have triggered the shooting.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Pj3bu7HgYDKTUO7i8HDDtW036EzU4HyM”]Five of the injured victims with various degrees of injury, are receiving treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, with three others at the Bimbilla Hospital.

The incident led to sporadic shootings in some parts of the troubled town of Bimbilla.

Bimbilla for the past decade has been struggling with a chieftaincy conflict which has claimed several lives including women and children.

Recently, a pregnant woman was shot dead, while her 14-year-old daughter was left injured after an unknown assailant opened fire on them.

The township has over the last few years been considered a crime hotspot leading to series of violent clashes involving the use of ammunition.

Last month, the celebration of the annual Damba festival in Bimbilla was suspended to prevent a potential conflict.

The area has for several months been under a 4:00 pm to 6:00am curfew due to the consistent gun attacks.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The initiative dubbed, Young Peace Builders Forum (YPF), is aimed at training children from a number of communities within the district to serve as peace ambassadors in the area.

For their role, the children will in turn educate community members on peaceful coexistence and the need to avoid violence.

The Bimbilla Township has been placed under a dawn to dusk curfew for over a decade, following recurrent chieftaincy disputes in the area.

The youth in Bimbilla recently asked government to review the curfew complaining that their businesses are being affected.

Launching the YPF initiative, the District Chief Executive for the area, Abdulai Yaqoub, lamented the amount of resources the district assembly has spent on fuel and upkeep of the security personnel as a result of the conflict which could have been used in the provision of social amenities for the people.

In an interview with Citi News, he said the conflict has reduced the assembly’s ability to embark on infrastructural development.

“I get very frightened when I see the figures in monetary terms that are being spent as a result of the conflict in the district. Funds spent on fuel and upkeep of security personnel in the area is alarming. These are resources that could have been used in the provision of portable water, access roads, electricity, healthcare and education for our people,” he added.

Mr. Yaquob expressed worry about the lives lost to the protracted chieftaincy dispute, saying it’s time the feuding factions give a peace a chance.

The President of AMASS Ghana, Kofi Asamoah Ababio, told Citi News that they are targeting children for the initiative because they believe it will yield better results.

“…The children are the future leaders of the society and therefore they should have a voice in the way the society is shaped. They should not sit and allow the older people to destroy what belongs to them. The youth are admonished against being used by unscrupulous people to perpetrate acts of violence, rather they should endeavour to live better lives and eschew acts that could trigger conflict. Their energies should be channeled towards the development of the district,” he added.

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By: Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bimbilla conflict: NGO to use children as peace ambassadors appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said accession to the Bimbilla skin had been well-documented adding that tradition must always be respected at all times to ensure that the right and qualified persons were enskinned as chiefs in the area.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XccTNqJToc0TBBgBc8yFaXCxzXItstvG”]He said the situation where some individuals thought they could use their perceived political connections to change the history of chieftaincy at Bimbilla and foment trouble and killing innocent people would be resisted.

Mr Osman Kikaa stated this when he addressed a news conference in Tamale on Sunday in relation to last Thursday’s chieftaincy clashes at Bimbilla.

Last Thursday, February 09, 2017, the Regent of Bimbilla enskinned a number of sub chiefs, a decision which did not go down well with the other rival royal faction at Bimbilla resulting in exchange of gun fires travelling deep into the night.

At least 10 people were killed while about 11 others sustained injuries during the gun fires.

A reinforcement team of police and military personnel has since restored calm in the area while some 21 suspects arrested during the fight and be arraigned before a circuit court in Tamale today, Monday, February 13.

Mr Osman Kikaa urged all, including the youth at Bimbilla to remain calm saying the Regent would continue to resort to the rule of law to address any misconception surrounding his legitimacy and the Bimbilla chieftaincy dispute.

He maintained that Naa Andani Dasana was the legitimate Regent, rightfully enskinned by the Kingmakers of the area and fully endorsed and recognised by all relevant state institutions.

He emphasised that under the custom of the area, the Regent had the right to enskin chiefs adding that he had been enskinning chiefs over the years without incident.

Mr Osman Kikaa countered the position of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Ken Yeboah, Northern Regional Police Commander suggesting that he (DCOP Yeboah) advised against the enskinment of the sub-chiefs.

Mr Osman Kikaa said the District Security Council only advised the Regent to perform the enskinment ceremony between the hours of 12 noon and 1300 hours GMT instead of the usual 1600 hours GMT adding that security personnel were deployed there for the enskinment ceremony.

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Source: GNA

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