Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute: Chief Justice orders transfer of case to Tamale over security fears

The Chief Justice has granted a request by defendants in the Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute to transfer their case from the High Court in Nalerigu to Tamale over security concerns.

One of the defendants, Elijah Saan, told JoyNews that they feared for their lives if they travelled to Nalerigu to attend court.

He said the defendants had received intelligence suggesting they could be killed if they appeared in court in Nalerigu and had instructed their lawyer to apply for the transfer of the case to Tamale.

The case was scheduled for hearing on Friday, October 23, 2026.

However, the Registrar of the Nalerigu High Court confirmed to JoyNews on Friday that the Chief Justice had granted the request.

The transfer comes amid heightened tensions in Bunkpurugu following the disputed enskinment of Melchizedek Musah Jamung as chief on September 14, 2026.

The installation, which took place amid an ongoing chieftaincy dispute, reportedly triggered violence that left a woman dead and four others injured.

Police have since been searching for the rival chief and other members of the Jamong royal family in connection with the disputed enskinment.

The development has also prompted the Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, to file an application at the High Court in Nalerigu seeking to have four people committed for contempt of court over the installation.

In the application filed on October 14, 2026, the Nayiri accused the respondents of defying judicial processes by proceeding with the enskinment despite an ongoing legal dispute over the Bunkpurugu skin.

The dispute between the Jamong and Jafouk royal families has contributed to persistent tensions in the area, with reports of farm destruction, arson and residents fleeing their homes amid fears of further violence.