Abudu Royal Family with lawyer Charles Agbanu
The Abudu Royal Family in Yendi has been cleared by the Tamale High Court presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi to perform the final funeral rites of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu IV.
The final funeral rites will be performed at the Old Gbewaa palace in Yendi in the Northern Region.
The case has been in court since the death of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai, the Yaa-Naa of Dagbon in 1986.
The Tamale High Court on Friday ordered the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuyaa Naa Abdulai Andani to pay GH¢25,000 as damages. The court ordered him also to vacate the palace for the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV to be performed.
Some leaders of the Abudu Royal Family were seen at the court celebrating the victory with smiles all over their faces.
The verdict has however brought a lot of tension and fear into residents of Yendi who were apprehensive that the conflict between the two royal gates might erupt again.
Unconfirmed reports alleged that some of the gates had started transporting family members to Tamale and other communities in anticipation of any imbroglio.
The lawyer of Abudu Royal Family, Charles Agbanu told DAILY GUIDE that judgement on the case was read on Friday and that by Monday the judgement will be entered and signed to enforce it.
“Which means that the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuyaa Naa Abdulai Yakubu Andani is to vacate the palace for the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV to be performed”, he said.
He indicated that after the first judgement in 1986, the Supreme Court ruled that Abudu IV should be recognized as Yaa-Naa and should be accorded a royal burial “meaning he should be buried at the palace and his funeral observed there as well but his funeral was not performed at the palace.”
Lawyer Agbanu stated that the current regent of Dagbon was supposed to perform the funeral rites but he did not do it so the Abudus went to court to compel him to do it.
“The road map to perform the funeral rites was signed in 2006 but the Andani family refused to do it so the court ruling will compel them to do it.”
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale