A militia group aligned to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kandahar Boys, allegedly forced its way into the Northern Development Authority premises and took away 400 tricycles without approval.
According to information gathered by JoyNews, 10 containers holding 40 tricycles each, moved from the NDA premises sometime in October 2019, have been sighted with most of them emptied.
Northern Regional Correspondent, Illiasu Tanko, reported Tuesday, that the containers were spotted at a location shared by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Centre for Active Learning and Integrated Development (CALID) as well as an electrical company.
READ ALSO
“As we speak now 10 containers are still here…some of them opened and actually empty. These containers have been seen here since news broke out that some 400 tricycles had gone missing,” the reporter told News Anchor Emefa Apawu, on Newsnite on Joy FM.
He said some members of the Kandahar Boys group told him tricycles were indeed in the containers taken from the NDA’s premises. The journalist added that some persons who bought them confirmed to him that persons connected to the Kandahar Boys sold the tricycles to them.
Corroborating the report, Executive Director for CALID, Mohammed Awal Bapio, said he saw the containers there on October 26, 2019, but when he asked the landlord, Yahuza Idrisu, who rented part of the space in the property to the group, “he told me yes they called him and said they were bringing some items there.”
READ ALSO
“I know that 10 containers are seated here but as to how many tricycles I don’t know,” Mr. Babio stated.
He added that his accountant asked one of the individuals who transported the containers to the premises to disclose the content of the container.
It was at that point they got to know that the containers were holding some tricycles, he added.
Background
The sudden disappearance of the containers which were being kept at the NDA yard in Tamale led to the dismissal of the acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Alhaji Abdel-Majeed Haroun.
He then reported the matter to the Police Command in the Region to help locate and retrieve the missing tricycles.
Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, was accused of having knowledge of the whereabouts of the tricycles, an allegation he has since denied.