The Sampa protracted chieftaincy dispute in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region turned bloody on Wednesday, when the two feuding traditional factions exchanged firearms, leaving one dead and a police officer sustaining severe gunshot wounds.
As at the time of filing this report, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) learnt that the Bono Regional Security Council (REGSEC) had deployed military police re-enforcement to maintain law and order in the township, as residents stayed indoors.
“Sampa is presently on fire,” Mr George Adane, the Jaman North District Chief Executive confirmed to the GNA in a telephone interview, saying the injured police officer was on admission, responding to treatment at the Sampa Government Hospital.
He said three residential houses in the township as well as the Sampa Market had been set ablaze, adding that the body of the deceased (young man) had also been deposited at the government hospital for preservation and autopsy.
Mr Adane said the incident happened around 1300 hours, explaining that preliminary investigations showed that supporters of Nana Yaw Sammor-Duah II got information that Nana Samgba Gyafla was in the process of being gazetted.
He said they mobilized and hit the Sampa street to register their protest, saying that resulted in the exchange of bullets between supporters of the two feuding factions.
The chieftaincy conflict, which first escalated in 2022, has been a recurring source of violence in Sampa, though the town had experienced relative calm in recent months. Ironically, the latest violence erupted just as the District Security Council (DISEC) was meeting to review the curfew.
He confirmed that the injured police officer is receiving treatment, while sporadic gunfire continues to terrify residents. “Many people have fled the town. Others are locked in their rooms. Reinforcements are on their way to stabilize the situation,” he said.
Security agencies have been placed on high alert, with additional personnel deployed to restore calm and prevent further escalation.
“If government does not intervene quickly, the situation could escalate even further,” the DCE warned, urging urgent national security support and logistical assistance to contain the unrest.
