The Northern Regional town of Kpatinga continues to remain a ghost community as residents including health workers and teachers abandon the area over fear of more clashes.

The residents fled the community after a gun battle between two feuding parties claiming to be rightful rulers.

Homes were torched during the disturbance. One person reportedly died and five others were left injured.

Speaking through a representative, Chief of Kpatinga Fuseini Ziblim appealed to the residents, teachers and health workers who fled the community to return to post.

“The people of Kpatinga can only get bread in Gushegu which is really unfortunate, so the appeal of the chief is that the residents should come back.”

Meanwhile, police in the Northern Region have beefed up security in the community following the clashes.

Public Relations Officer for the Northern Region Police, DSP Yusif Tanko, addressing the press, said police and military presence would remain in the town to ensure normalcy returns.

DSP Tanko also confirmed the arrest of some of the perpetrators of the violence, adding investigations are ongoing into last Friday’s disturbances.

He called on residents who have any information which could aid investigators to volunteer same to security personnel on patrol.

Five weapons have already been retrieved, he said.

Last Friday’s clashes

Homes were torched and residents fled the Kpatinga in the Gushegu Municipality of the Northern Region after clashes between two persons holding themselves as the rightful claimants to the Kpatinga skin who have the right to enskin sub-chiefs.

According to reports, a sub-chief died and his funeral started last week and was expected to be completed on Friday.

As part of the tradition, relatives of the deceased sub-chief needed to go to the chief of the area for some rituals to be performed.

Reports said when the family visited the palace of one, the contender who is the reagent of the area instigated the confusion.