Calm returns to Malshegu and Gumo in the Sagnarigu and Kumbungu districts (photos)

Calm has returned to Malshegu and Gumo in the Sagnarigu and Kumbungu Districts in the Northern Region following a violent clash that erupted on a parcel of land that serves as a boundary between the two communities on Sunday evening.

Three persons sustained injuries during the clash and were sent to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for treatment.

One of them who was said to have sustained multiple knife wounds was still on admission at the hospital. His condition is critical.

The police gave his name as 49-year-old Peter Alhassan.

The police told Graphiconline’s Northern Regional Correspondent, Samuel Duodu that the incident occurred on the disputed land that served as a boundary between the two communities on the Tamale-Kumbungu road and not in the two communities.

Some people from Gumo in the Kumbungu district were said to have gone to the parcel of land to re-demarcate the boundaries.

The clash also resulted in a road block mounted by the people of Malshegu and Gumo respectively on the Tamale-Kumbungu road.

A police and military team that were deployed to the area to maintain peace later dismantled it.

When Graphiconline visited the scene of the clash Monday morning  around 7am there was police presence on the parcel of land which was said to be in dispute and also serves as a boundary between the two communities.

Some school children of the Malshegu Roman Catholic Primary and Junior High School (JHS) were seen walking from Gumo to Malshegu to attend school.

They told Graphiconline that they were not aware of any clashes between the two communities on Sunday.

A visit to the two communities indicated that the clashes took place between some group of persons who went onto the disputed land to re-demarcate and not in the communities as reported earlier by an Accra based radio station.

When the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr.  Ebenezer Tetteh was contached, he said no arrest has been made as of now and that a police team has been deployed to the area to maintain law and order.

He confirmed that the clash erupted on Sunday evening when a group of persons from Gumo in the Kumbungu District went to the disputed land to re-demarcate the boundaries between the two communities which resulted in the injuries of three persons.

ASP Tetteh added that the clashes took place on the parcel of land which was in dispute and not in the two communities as reported early on.

In a related development, the Police have also debunked a report that there was a gun battle between two "Sakawa" groups at the Picorna Hotel in the central business district of the Tamale Metropolis over the weekend.

According to the Northern Regional PRO, ASP Tetteh, it was a magician who went to the hotel for a magical concert which attracted so many people so he fired some gunshots to scare the people who had gathered at the hotel.

"If really it was a gun battle some people might have been injured but we have not recorded any injury as of now. He said a police patrol team went to the the area to maintain law and order.