He said the security chiefs in the area had made the public to believe that the regent was advised not to go ahead with the enskinment of some sub-chiefs but he refused to heed the advice, leading to the renewed chieftaincy clashes in the area.

Mr Kikaa made the accusation at a news conference held in Tamale on Sunday evening.

According to the police, last Thursday’s violent clashes resulted from a disagreement between the two feuding factions over the alleged enskinment of some sub-chiefs by the Regent of Bimbilla.

The clashes claimed 10 lives, while several others sustained injuries.

Mr Kikaa recounted events that led to the enskinment ceremony and said Yelinbolingu-Naa Dasana had written to the DISEC, informing it about an enskinment ceremony planned for Thursday, February 9, 2017.

He indicated that DISEC initially did not seem to have any problem with that.

However, on February 8, 2017, the DISEC asked the Regent to suspend the enskinment because it had received orders from above to persuade Yelinbolingu-Naa Dasana to suspend the ceremony.

According to Mr Kikaa, the DISEC said it had picked information that indicated that some people had the intention to cause mayhem should the Regent carry out the enskinment.

He said to the Regent and his elders, the information from the DISEC came in late and, therefore, after deliberating on the issue, they told the DISEC that if that information had been delivered earlier, the Regent could have changed the date.

He said in the evening of February 8, 2017, the DISEC apologised to Yelinbolingu-Naa Dasana for the inconvenience caused him and said they would allow the ceremony to be carried out but pleaded with the Regent to change the time from 3 p.m. to 12 noon or 1 p.m.

"The security took part fully in the enskinment process and even provided security for the ceremony. It also escorted the chiefs who were enskinned to some distance on their way to their communities," he said.

He maintained that "the security did not advise Yelinbolingu-Naa Dasana to suspend the enskinment but rather advised him to change the time of the event".

Court

Mr Kikaa said the Bimbilla chieftaincy dispute had already been decided on at the Northern Regional and the National houses of Chiefs in favour of the late Andani Dasana as the legitimate Bimbilla Na.

He said the other side who were not satisfied with the verdict had gone to the Supreme Court to contest the issue, adding that the Regent had asked all the youth of Bimbilla to remain calm and wait for the court’s verdict.

Counter allegations

The Northern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Ken Yeboah, has, meanwhile, debunked the claims by the Regent's spokesperson and said he had personally called the Regent and advised him not to go ahead with the ceremony.

He said the Regent had asked him (Mr Yeboah) whether his men had told him that they would not be able to provide security on that occasion.

According to Mr Yeboah, his response to the Regent was that he was the boss and that in view of the security intelligence on the ground, it was not favourable for the enskinment to be carried out.

He said further that the Regent insisted on performing the function, explaining that there was pressure on him to do so.

The commander said in the course of the conversation, the line dropped and later the Regent sent him a text message explaining again that there was pressure on him to go ahead with the enskinment.

He stated therefore, that the Regent was advised against the enskinment.