The Interior Ministry has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Bole in the Northern Region following violence in the area, Sunday.

The 6:00pm-6:00am curfew which was taken in consultation with the Northern Region Security Council takes effect Monday.

One person was reported dead with three others injured in the ensuing chieftaincy clashes between Mandale gate and the Alhaji Abdulai gate.

There was fierce gun battle between the feuding factions during yesterday’s Damba festival which escalated. A house was said to have been torched in the process. 

The curfew in Bole comes days before the performance of the first of two funerals for the late chiefs of Dagbon, Ya-Na Mahammadu Abdulai and Ya-Na Yakubu Andani.

The Interior Minister Ambrose Dery appealed to the chiefs, elders, opinion leaders and residents to exercise restraint.

”Meanwhile, there is a total ban on all persons in the afore-mentioned communities and its environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapon and any persons found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted,” the statement announcing the curfew said.

Adom FM’s reporter Rebecca Natomah said residents are beginning to lock their shops with just few minutes to go for the curfew hours to begin.

She said the chief’s palace has been taken over security personnel as they attempt to restore peace in the area.

Tamale police spokesperson DSP Yussif Tanko said there is heavy police presence in the area to protect lives and property and to restore order.

He also confirmed a deployment of police and military personnel to beef up security in the area.

He said while he has not officially been informed about the curfew the police will be rationale in its enforcement of the curfew.

Providing details about the clashes, DSP Tanko said there has been a protracted dispute between the two gates.

“It has been on and off for over a month now until it escalated yesterday,” he said.

DSP Tanko said the police are working hard to ensure peace in the area.