The Government on Monday named a four-man security investigation team to speed up the process of establishing the identity of culprits involved in the Yendi crisis.

The team is made up of Mr David Asante-Appiatu, Operations Commander of Police Criminal Investigations Division (CID), Mr. Danis Akaob, CID Headquarters, Accra, Superintendent A. K. Daki of the Northern Region CID and Mr V. D. K. Dzakpata, Chief Superintendent of Operations, Northern Regional Police Command. There is no deadline yet for the team to submit its report.

Mr Ferdinand O. Ayim, Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, told the press in Accra that the Police on Sunday arrested one Seidu on board a Tamale-Yendi bus at a check-point with two locally manufactured pistols.

He said Yendi and its environs were currently a security zone and anyone with arms and ammunitions needed to explain the reasons for possession such arms. Mr Ayim, who was briefing the press on the current situation at Yendi and Tamale, said 56 people had so far been arrested for breaking the curfew and 42 of them would be arraigned before court within the week.

He said two suspects arrested last week were helping the police with their investigations. The government on Thursday, 4 April 2002, announced the arrest of two persons for their alleged involvement in the Yendi clashes in which at least 28 people have been killed. The paramount Chief of Dagbon, the Ya-Na, was also killed.

On the blackout at Tamale during the week-end, Mr Ayim said the Electricity Company of Ghana had indicated that it was due to a break in transmission between the Tamale and Bawku and assured the people of efforts to restore power as soon as possible.

He said so far, both areas had recorded no violence since the attack was made on the Ya-Na's Palace, adding that the police and the military were in full control. Mr Ayim also said the minority in parliament had visited Yendi to assess the situation on the ground. Mr Ayim said life had returned to normal in both Yendi and Tamale with farmers trooping to their farms.