Accra, April 23, GNA - Nine persons allegedly connected to the death= of the Dagbon King, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and some of his traditional elder= s, on Friday proceeded to the Human Rights Court for bail.

They contended that their rights had been violated after an Accra District Magistrate's Court on April 12 remanded them in custody for more=

than a month. They are Iddrisu Iddi 76, Alhaji Baba Iddrisu Abdalla, 54, Kwame Alhaasan, 53, Mohammed Kojo, 45, Mohammadu Abdulai, 57, Saibu Mohammed, 3= 4, Yakubu Mohammed, 42, and Alhasaan Briamah, 40. Yidana Sugri, 42, jointly charged with Iddrisu Janfo for conspiracy and murdering the Ya-Na but was acquitted and discharged by an Accra Fast Tra= ck High Court (AFTHC) in 2003, is now being held for allegedly training peop= le for military exercise. According to Nana Obiri-Boahene, one of the defence counsels, said under the law, the court should have offered them 14 days adjournment. Nana Obiri-Boahene contended that there was no way Yidana, who had been acquitted and discharged by the court, could have been tried again on the=

same facts.

He said it was unfortunate that the matter was being politicised, adding=

the Justice Wuaku Commission's Report, which was ridiculed by government was currently being relied on by the State. The State has opposed to the application before the court on the grounds=

that the accused were being tried for murder, which fall under non-bailab= le offences. The trial judge, Mr. Justice U.P. Dery, informed the defence team that t= he State had filed an affidavit in opposition as well as a supplementary affidavit. Nana Obiri-Boahene prayed for a short adjournment to study and respond t= o the State's applications.

The court adjourned the matter to Tuesday, April 27. It would be recalled that in March 2002, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, and som= e of his elders were killed following a clash between the two royal gates i= n Dagbon, Abudus and Andanis. After the clash, Janfo and Sugri were arrested and put before an AF= THC for the alleged murder of the Ya-Na and his elders, but were acquitted an= d discharged. In a fresh attempt by government and security agencies to find the murderers of the Ya-Na, in a dawn swoop on Saturday, April 10, rounded up= 41 persons at Yendi. After screening them in Bimbilla, 33 were granted self recognisance=

bail, while the rest were escorted to Accra and put before the court on Monday, April 12.