ANDANI, ABUDU FACTIONS CLASH (PAGE 3)

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

SUPPORTERS of the two royal gates of Dagbon clashed at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Saturday when the Committee of Eminent Chiefs, led by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, met with leaders of the feuding royal gates to find a lasting solution to the chieftaincy dispute in the area.
It took the police about 15 minutes to quell the disturbances, which saw the supporters, who had massed up at the precincts of the palace, fight with stones and other missiles.
Some vehicles were damaged, as they were hit by stones or ran into each other while the occupants were fleeing the scene of the incident.
One person was arrested, but according to the Commander of the Zongo District Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gabriel Magamsi, he was released on bail to prevent the escalation of the disturbances.
The committee of eminent chiefs had met on the first of a three-day deliberation on the late Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai’s funeral, which has been planned to take place at the Gbewaa Palace.
The funeral of the late Ya Na Abdulai is another stage on the road map to ensuring lasting peace in the troubled Dagbon area.
While the Abudus were determined to hold the funeral at the palace, the Andanis were opposed to any such move, claiming that Na Mahamadu did not die as a Ya Na.
As the meeting was going on behind closed doors, scores of supporters of both gates also gathered at separate points outside the palace.
ASP Magamsi told the Daily Graphic that it was the Abudus who were asked to leave first after the meeting had ended around 5 p.m., but before they boarded their vehicles, supporters of the Andanis started hooting at them.
The district commander said the Abudus entered their vehicles, but as they tried to drive out of the last gate to enter the main road in front of the palace, stones started flying from the Andani end.
He said the Abudu supporters, who had also gathered at the extreme end, responded to the stone throwing.
“The scene became dangerous and people started running away to safe areas,” Mr Magamsi said.
Security was expected to be tightened at the Palace yesterday as the deliberations entered the second day.