The Divisional Chief of Choggu, Naa Mahamadu II has placed a ban on the use of sophisticated firearms within the Choggu traditional area in the Sagnarigu municipality of the northern region.
The Chief cautioned the youth against the use of weapons such as G3, AK47 assault rifles among other offensive weapons during festive celebrations or face the full rigors of the state.
This was contained in a press statement issued on 12 August, 2021, by Naa Mahamadu II ahead of this year’s fire (Bugum) festival celebration largely observed by a number of ethnic groups in the north.
“No person or group of persons should dare use any sophisticated weapon aside the locally manufactured gun and gun-powder and nothing else” the statement emphasized.
The Chief stressed that anyone who goes contrary to this will be picked up by the security or will be drastically dealt with accordingly by the rules and laws of the state with no pardon.
In recent celebrations of the Bugum festival some individuals, mostly the youth have turned to the use of live ammunition endangering the lives of others who participate in the ancient ritual.
Background:
The alternate origin story of the Bugum festival states that it dates back to the time the Prophet Noah landed his Ark on Mount Arafat.
According to this tradition, when the Ark of Noah landed at the end of the floods the passengers lit torches to 1) find their way around and 2) to find the son of prophet Noah who failed to enter the Ark when it set out with the believers.
It is mostly celebrated on the on the ninth day of the first month of the Dagomba lunar year.
