According to myjoyonline.com, the standoff between the armed military officers and the angry youth occurred at midnight on Sunday.
A High Court in Bolgatanga has issued a warrant for the arrest of the two traditional leaders for their involvement in the enskinment of a new chief on Wednesday, February 15.
The government condemned the enskinment, describing it as illegal and a threat to national security.
“The Government condemns developments in Nalerigu today February 15, 2023, concerning the purported enskinment of a new Bawku Naba as illegal and a threat to National Security,” a statement released by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said.
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The statement went further to direct the security agencies to arrest and prosecute any other person who holds himself out as a Bawku Naba.
“Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II is the Bawku Naba, duly gazetted and a member of the National and Upper East Regional Houses of Chiefs,” the government stressed.
JoyNews correspondent, Eliasu Tanko reported that the military forces could not enforce the court order and government directive on Sunday night. They were met by the angry youth of the town who resisted the arrest of their traditional leaders.
“The youth had taken over the palaces of the two chiefs, leading to a standoff and subsequent retreat by the soldiers,” myjoyonline.com reports.
The irate youth proceeded to destroy the police station in the area and a New Patriotic Party (NPP) office.
Decades of chieftaincy dispute in Bawku have denied peace and development to that part of Ghana’s Upper East region.