A Tamale Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Gwendolyn Millicent Owusu has remanded five individuals into police custody. The suspects were apprehended following violent chieftaincy related clashes that occurred in the northern regional capital earlier this week. According to a Ghana News Agency report the individuals are allegedly linked to the destruction of private property and public disturbances during the unrest.
A statement from the Ghana Police Service indicated that the security situation in Tamale remains under control but sensitive. The prosecution requested the court to deny bail to allow investigators more time to identify other accomplices currently at large. The police official report confirmed that the suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit crime namely rioting with weapons and causing unlawful damage to buildings and vehicles.
According to a report by Citi Newsroom the violence erupted due to long standing disputes over local leadership successions. While the specific names of the accused were not initially released to the public the court heard that several houses were set ablaze during the peak of the confrontation. The presiding judge ordered the suspects to reappear in court on a scheduled date in late October as the investigation continues.
The Ghana News Agency noted that local community leaders have been urged to maintain peace and refrain from retaliatory actions. Security personnel have increased patrols in the affected neighborhoods to prevent a resurgence of hostilities. The defense counsel argued for bail citing the constitutional rights of the suspects but the court upheld the police request for continued detention at the regional headquarters.