Chereponi: Assemblyman remanded for 'distributing weapons'

The Assemblyman for Naaja Electoral Area, Ujun Blanyani, who was arrested by a joint police and military patrol team in Cherponi was remanded into prison custody by the Tamale High Court 1 presided over by Justice Richard M. Kogyakpwah on Tuesday, May 28. The suspect was charged with one count of obstructing the performance of duty of security personnel contrary to Section 26(1) of the Arms and Ammunitions Act of 1972. Presenting the facts of the matter, state prosecutor Salia Abdul Qudus indicated, “Security personnel received intelligent reports that the accused has been distributing guns and ammunitions to Konkombas”. “Anytime security visits the accused, they find out he has moved the weapons to a different location because he gets prior information of their coming,” he added. Between 8:00am to 9:00am on Thursday, May 23, intelligent reports indicated that the accused was to hold a meeting to distribute weapons to his tribesmen. He added that when the security moved to arrest the accused, irate youth opened fire on the security and sprayed the security vehicle with bullets. One Nakona Koriya sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the process. The defense lawyer of the accused, however, argued that the gathering was to receive a high-powered government delegation visiting the area and pleaded the accused be granted bail. The presiding judge said the situation in Chereponi does not augur well and hence remanded the accused person to prison custody to reappear on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Meanwhile, father of the assemblyman John Blanyani on Friday, May 24, said, “the police could hold his son in custody”, stating: “It will make him a happy man knowing his son made a sacrifice for peace to prevail between the two tribes”. By Zubaida Ismail|3news.com|Ghana]]>