The \u00a0remains of Na Dasana Andani, the murdered Bimbilla chief,\u00a0 would be released to the family on Wednesday for the performance of the necessary customary rites,\u00a0 before\u00a0 finally laid to rest on Thursday June 26 at Bimbilla.<\/p>\n
This followed a plea from Kpatihi Naa, Natogmah Azindow, an elder at the late chief\u2019s palace during the visit of the Minister of Defence to Bimbilla on Monday to assess the security situation and to convey government\u2019s condolence to the elders and people of the area.<\/p>\n
Naa Azindow said,\u00a0 in line with their customary practice, if the chief had died a natural death, he would have been buried for seven days before members of the public would hear about it,\u00a0 and pleaded with government to release the body for burial on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs much as we commend government for the swift arrest of some of the perpetrators, we will be much happier if government could release the mortal remains of our chief for burial on Thursday. The chief was a farmer and he had cultivated more than 100 acres of land,\u00a0 and no one can work on the land if he is not buried\u201d, he explained.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defence,\u00a0\u00a0Mr Mark Woyongo\u00a0\u00a0tasked the security agencies to immediately contact the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) authorities to conduct an autopsy on the body on Tuesday June 24, and release the body to the family on Wednesday June 25 for the performance of the necessary customary rites and burial.<\/p>\n
He said what happened in Bimbilla was unacceptable and that natural justice would take its course against the perpetrators and assured the elders and people of Bimbilla, and Nanum in general that no stone would be left unturned to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators who allegedly murdered the chief in his palace last Thursday.<\/p>\n
He said President Mahama has shown personal interest in the matter,\u00a0 and had instructed the National Security to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves,\u00a0 to immediately identify, arrest and bring all the perpetrators to book to serve as deterrent to others.<\/p>\n
Mr Woyongo said, \u201cWe will find the perpetrators of this heinous act. For now they can run but they cannot hide forever. Where ever they are we will smoke them out and I am assuring the elders and people of this area that those who killed your chief would be arrested\u201d.<\/p>\n
He has, however, appealed to the people of Bimbilla not to shield the perpetrators, but should volunteer information that would lead to the swift arrest and prosecution of the people to bring sanity to the area.<\/p>\n
Mr Woyongo expressed concern about the influx of arms and ammunition into the Northern Region saying, \u201cWe are crying of poverty we have money to invest in guns purchase to kill ourselves instead of investing in our children\u2019s education\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past few weeks, there are worrying reports that guns are entering into the region indiscriminately. There is massive poverty in this part of the country but the people are rather investing in guns for destruction of life and property\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Mr Woyongo and his entourage were conducted round the crime scene where traces of blood of the murdered chief and one other person, pellet marks on walls were visible and the house in which the alleged killers were camped.<\/p>\n
The chief of Bimbilla, Na Dasana Andani was on Thursday June 19, attacked and killed by some armed men between the hours of 19hrs GMT and 19:30hrs GMT when he was praying in front of his room at Bimbilla.<\/p>\n
The person who died with the chief was shot and killed at the entrance of the chief\u2019s palace,\u00a0 while two others who sustained various gunshot wounds were later found dead, with the fifth person dying at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.<\/p>\n
Nineteen suspects have so far been arrested,\u00a0 while efforts are being made to arrest all those who had a hand in the killings.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile,\u00a0 calm has returned to Bimbilla with people going about their normal\u00a0 daily activities,\u00a0 while security has also been heightened to ensure adequate protection of life and property<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: GNA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u00a0remains of Na Dasana Andani, the murdered Bimbilla chief,\u00a0 would be released to the family on Wednesday for the performance of the necessary customary rites,\u00a0 before\u00a0 finally laid to rest on Thursday June 26 at Bimbilla. This followed a plea from Kpatihi Naa, Natogmah Azindow, an elder at the late chief\u2019s palace during the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[43,38],"yoast_head":"\n