A task force of Nadu Warriors from the Manya Krobo Traditional Area on Saturday stormed a durbar ground and abducted the chief superintending over the Ngmayem Festival, for allegedly violating century old Krobo tradition.
Nene Tetteh Zogli III, a claimant to the Piengua Divisional Stool, was in the presence of his invited guests and subjects when he was physically seized by members of the Nadu Warriors task force, bundled into the bucket of a get-away pick-up, but was swiftly rescued by the police.
His sub chiefs and some of the invited guests were not spared the humiliation as they sustained various forms of injuries. Canopies and drums mounted for the ceremony were set ablaze and the chairs destroyed.
It all started when Nene Tetteh Zogli, known in private life as Francis Osakono disregarded police intelligence not to celebrate the Ngmayem Festival at the PienguaYokwenor M/A School park.
According to the Odumase Krobo District Police Command, Nene Zogli refused to obtain permit from the police before embarking on the celebration and threw caution of the volatile security situation to the wind.
The Nadu Warriors taskforce, drawn from Akuse, Kpong, Nuaso, Adorme and Asitey said their action was to stop the chief from celebrating the festival.
On Sunday October 3, 2021 Nene Zogli, who is one of the Divisional Chiefs that severed relationship with the Manya Krobo Traditional Council two years ago, claiming independence to form what is termed ANNIKA (where the paramountcy rotates among the divisions) met his Waterloo at his ‘fortified’ ground.
On that day, Nene Zogli went to launch the Ngmayem Festival but the youth resisted the attempt on the basis that the Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite II, based on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo’s directives on the Covid-19 pandemic had ordered that the Ngmayem celebration slated for this year must be halted.
Nene Zogli then allegedly caused announcements to be effected, using various mass media, of his preparedness to defy the orders of Nene Sakite II to celebrate the festival on Saturday October 30, 2021.
In the morning of Saturday, the Nadu Warriors task force, with headquarters at Asitey, near the Krobo Girls High School hills, congregated at an unknown ground for the onslaught.
At about 10:00 hours, the fully charged advance group of the taskforce landed at the Osekuse Shrine premises which Nene Zogli lost three weeks ago. The members, in the open, resorted to testing their amulets by firing guns to their bodies.
After satisfying themselves of their preparedness for the task, they marched to the school park, venue for the occasion, and forcibly removed the erected canopies, set everything combustible on fire and took charge of the premises, as people run helter-skelter. Upon hearing of the invasion, Nene Zogli still neglected the security advice for him to stay indoors.
The ‘assault’ squad of the Nadu Warriors literally trapped the chief and his entourage in a procession, as they moved to the festival grounds.
Reports recount how Nene’s aides were manhandled before finally being whisked away by the warriors.
News of the abduction got to the police at Odumase, who mounted a road block in front of the station, to rescue Nene. With little resistance, Nene was released to the police by his captives.
Police sources at the district intimate that Nene Zogli has sustained some injuries and as such was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
The District Police Command informed the media during an interview that the case was transferred to the Akosombo Divisional Police Headquarters.
The Nadu Warriors insist that the chief, by sidestepping procedures to the annual Ngmayem Festival Celebration, was invoking curse onto Krobo land.
A source told this paper that all the factions perform theirs rituals on the following days; Sunday -Kutu, Monday-Djebiam, Tuesday-Piengua and Manya, Wednesday-Akleme (visit to the royal cemetery), Thursday-Dorm, Suisi and Akwenor.
On Friday, the paramount chief from the Nam Division will host the grand durbar which climaxes the week long celebrations.
Saturday is a memorable day for Krobos, referred to as ‘KlomaHor’, in that it is on that day in 1892 that British led by Captain Glover and his troops were compelled to descend from Krobo Mountain.
The Krobos were on that day observing the funeral of their departed chief, King Sakite, before the invasion, leading to casualties. The day has become a significant day in their history. The Nadu (rain god), according to oral history, is believed to have led the Krobos from Israel to their present position in West Africa.
