By: Murtala Issah
Basic schools in Nyankpala have closed down following sporadic gunshots near the Nyankpala Chief’s Palace Thursday, Feburary 9, 2023, afternoon.
A visit to some basic schools in the community Friday morning, saw classrooms under lock and deserted.
Some school children who did not hear about the closure and came to school this morning, had to go home early whilst others decided to play around. Some of the children told GBC News that, their teachers have asked them to go home because of yesterday’s shooting incident.
There was sporadic gunshots near the Nyankpala Chief’s Palace late Thursday afternoon, sending residents to bed earlier than usual. Police are yet to establish persons behind the shooting incident, but it is believed that, the shooting is connected to the enskinment of a new chief for Nyankpala.
The Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama, on Thursday enskinned Mohammed Ibrahim as the Nyankpala chief.
Some residents alleged that, the enskinment has not gone down well with a certain group and suspect that the shooting was to show their disapproval of the new chief.
Though calm has returned to Nyankpala, school authorities say they are not taking chances with their pupils hence, the closure of the schools.
A teacher who spoke to GBC News off record said they hope to be back to school on Monday.
Nyankpala is also home to the University for Development Studies UDS, but the development has not affected academic activities at the University. Students were seen going for lectures on Friday morning.
When GBC news correspondent arrived at the Palace on Friday morning, there was calm with a police patrol team moving around to enforce law and order.
Business activities in the community were also back to normal with food vendors on the street selling various foods including kooko, waakye and wassawassa.
Nyankpala is nineteen Kilometers from Tamale and home to the University for Development Studies and the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI).
