Some 14 suspects arrested following a violent clash between supporters of the two main political parties in the Yagaba-Kubori constituency are to reappear before the Walewale District Court December 15.
The suspects made up of nine members of the NDC and five supporters of the NPP were remanded separately on Monday and Tuesday after security personnel rounded them up of the North East Region.
While the NDC supporters face charges of causing damage and illegal possession of firearms, the suspects belonging to the NPP have been charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to cause murder.
It is still not clear what triggered the clash as both parties continue to trade counter-accusations.
However, JoyNews learned, the violence had started when some suspected supporters of the ruling party attempted to prevent the incumbent MP and the NDC party from holding a rally in the community where the NPP parliamentary candidate comes from.
Angered by the incident, NDC supporters at Yagaba also launched a reprisal attacking installations of the NPP and vandalising properties at the residence of its parliamentary candidate.
Ahead of the hearing, tension is still mounting in the area as both supporters continue to trade blames for the cause of the violence.
The NDC is, however, accusing the security personnel of bias against its supporters.
A member of the NDC, who spoke to JoyNews’ Rashid Abdul Rashid urged the security forces to be fair in order to keep the peace, while the NPP is urging calm amongst its supporters and urging the security to enforce the law by ensuring anybody found guilty is adequately punished.
The NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Mustapha Issifu also expressed confidence in the security set up to bring the perpetrator to book adding that his outfit has provided the investigators with enough evidence and videos of the vandalism to aid the case.