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Sixty-Seven-year-old Yakubu Salifu, father of incarcerated Yahuza Yakubu, 39, has strongly protested his son�s innocence in the charges levelled against him and invoked the wrath of God on his accusers here on earth and on judgement day. Mr. Salifu, who spoke exclusively to DAILY GUIDE during a visit by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, to commiserate with the family, said they had been traumatised since judgement was passed and appealed to the authorities to spare the life of his son. He said some family members, who particularly kept wake a day before the verdict to seek spiritual intervention, are still locked up in their rooms with some refusing to eat and wondered whether they would ever get over the shock. Yakubu Yahuza had been convicted to death by hanging while four others; Abibu Dagbana, Majeed Alhassan, Alhassan Sayibu and Imoro Gondaana were found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and murder with each being handed 36 years prison term by a Tamale High Court in a jury trial. Shock A day after the shocking conviction, the NPP leadership dispatched Sir John and others to visit the family to assure them of the party�s support and appealed to the youth to stay clear of violence. According to Mr Salifu, the death sentence pronounced on his son last Tuesday was the worst shock he had ever witnessed in his life and expressed hope that natural justice would be delivered during the appeal. The NPP General Secretary, who visited the families of the incarcerated NPP activists, appealed for calm among the various youth groups indicating that the party was appealing the verdict. He shared in the grief of the traumatised families and urged them to take heart while the necessary legal processes were being followed to secure them bail. Sir John, as affectionately called, disclosed that many lawyers in the party were willing to lend their support to the team of lawyers already handling the case in order to free the convicts as there was overwhelming evidence to set them free. Restrain In this regard, he urged the youth in the metropolis to restrain themselves and allow due process to be followed as any attempt to do anything untoward could spell doom for their fortunes in the case, when the decision is appealed. He thanked the police for co-operating with the youth and assured the families of the unflinching support of the NPP in freeing their relations who had for over five years had been in detention until their conviction. The NPP General Secretary was accompanied by Alhaji Abdallah Hindu, Northern regional organiser, Rashid COP, regional youth organiser, Dr. Clifford Braimah, regional secretary and some party supporters. Miscarriage of Justice Meanwhile, lead counsel for the convicts, Nana Obiri-Boahene, has told DAILY GUIDE that evidence before the court was enough to have exonerated his clients of the charges preferred against them and, therefore, insisted they deserve their right to freedom, describing the entire process as a miscarriage of justice. He described the entire judgment as bad in the face of failure by the prosecution to lead evidence that the incarcerated NPP activists were indeed responsible for the death of Mohammed Iddrisu, an NDC activist, in February 2009. According to Nana Obiri Boahene, there was no corona inquest report suggesting that his clients might have committed the act as no medical doctor was brought to testify in the case, accusing the jurors of pure bias in the discharge of their duty. �Some (victims) said they were shot but no medical doctor testified during the trial�no medical record was presented in court to buttress claims or assertions by the alleged victims of the incident�� Nana Obiri Boahene said. He also pointed out that the evidence adduced in court by the prosecutors was in sharp contrast to the ruling and wondered why he should not file for an appeal to set his clients free. Jurors He told DAILY GUIDE that the female juror among the seven is alleged to be a women�s organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Northern Region wondering how such an individual could be fair in a decision involving her political opponents. Nana Obiri Boahene said �hidden forces dictated the trend and pace of the case,� adding, the prosecution, as far as he was concerned, could not prove the murder charges against his clients. He found it curious, that all the suspects were NPP supporters and Abudus while the prosecution witnesses were all NDC supporters. According to him, the selected jury could not reach a unanimous decision when the matter was first heard in Tamale. He said the case was transferred to Bolga for a retrial, following threats of attack on the jury and the suspects. Nana Obiri Boahene said he was surprised the case was brought back to Tamale under the same judge who presided over the first trial. He described the decision to bring the case back to Tamale as �administrative arbitrariness�. He was also surprised that the prosecution brought witnesses who claimed to have been shot by the suspects and treated in a hospital, yet there was not a single medical report, or doctors to substantiate the accusation. He said in some cases, the prosecution witnesses contradicted the information put out by the prosecution. Nana Obiri Boahene said the decision by the jury was wrong; hence he would begin the appeal process. Nana Obiri Boahene, therefore, confirmed that the appeal processes had begun and he was optimistic it could be filed before the close of this week to review verdict which found all his clients guilty as charged. Flashback It would be recalled that supporters of the NDC and NPP clashed on February 17, 2009 leading to the death of one Rashid Alhassan and the razing down of about 27 houses. The skirmishes also led to the destruction of vehicles, motorbikes and other valuables belonging to NPP members at Gumbihini, Choggu and other surrounding communities in the Tamale Metropolis which was the centre of violence. A number of youths of the NPP were arrested but were later released except the five who had been in detention until their conviction on Tuesday. Property of NPP activists including several houses were razed down in the heat of the clashes, compelling some of them to flee Tamale into neighbouring towns for safety until the situation was brought under control. A TATA Pickup with registration number GW 1858W, a FUDI Pickup with registration number GS 475Y and another TATA GC451Z all belonging to the NPP were burnt beyond recognition and till date those behind the act are yet to be apprehended. Woman Escapes Death Wife of the then Tamale Metropolitan NADMO Co-ordinator, Saadia Baako, escaped death by a whisker when she was hacked repeatedly by aggrieved NDC youths and her assailants are also yet to be apprehended. The woman, who has suffered deformities as a result, told DAILY GUIDE that she wanted those behind her current state to be brought to book if justice was being dispensed fairly in matters relating to the February 17, 2009 clashes.