Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international non-governmental organisation, has presented food and assorted items to victims of the Zakoli attack to support their upkeep.
A total of 20 widows and 33 children including twins from seven households in the area received the items, which included 10 gallons of cooking oil, 10 bags of rice, 20 bags of maize and bales of clothing valued at GH₵50,000.
Mr. Daniel Mumuni, Country Representative of CRS, who presented the items to the beneficiaries at Zakoli, said the gesture was CRS’ way of showing love and support to the victims following the incident.
On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, some unknown persons besieged Zakoli, a nomadic settler community in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region and killed eight members of the community.
Four other members of the community also sustained gunshot injuries at the time.
Thatch-roofed houses, food crops and motorbikes were also destroyed during the attack.
It is not clear what triggered the attacks, but the Ghana News Agency gathered that it could be a retaliation of an earlier robbery attack on a teacher at Zagbang on the Yendi – Zabzugu Road, which led to his death.
The Police have arrested a suspect, who is standing trial for the attack.
Mr Mumuni commended the Chief of the area for his leadership in ensuring peace in the area, saying the CRS cared about the victims, and prayed to God to comfort them.
He advised members of the community against retaliatory attacks and said vengeance was for the Lord and urged the community members to remain peaceful and be one another’s keeper.
Bishop Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai, Bishop of Yendi Diocese and Patron of the Yendi Peace Centre advised residents of the area against acts of revenge and choose the path of peace.
Naa Abukari Andani, Chief of Zakoli, who received the items on behalf of the victims, thanked CRS for the gesture saying it was the largest quantity of items they received from an NGO since the attack.
He called on the Police to intensify their investigations to bring the perpetrators to book.
