With barely a month since a meeting of powerful chiefs from Dagbon and Gonjaland was held under the auspices of Ndan Ya-Na Abukari II and Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, as part of efforts to address land boundary disputes between Gonja and Dagomba, the committee’s intervention has foiled a near clash between the two kingdoms over land ownership at Nyamalga.
Gonjas have laid claim to the Cheko Community, which they said is under the Kakpande Traditional Area of Gonjaland.
However, there was growing tension between Nanton in Dagbon and Kekpande in Gonja over a boundary dispute, with both sides accusing each other of destroying signposts and disrupting development projects in the contested area.
A swift response from the committee and with support from District Chief Executives for both North East Gonja and Nanton as well as the Northern Regional Security Coordinator, visited the flashpoints at Cheko and Nyamalga and later Kekpande.
The delegation at all communities, emphasised the need for peace and unity, highlighting the recent establishment of a Joint Council between Dagbon and Gonja to address such disputes.
The delegation appealed for an immediate halt to all activities in the disputed areas, including construction and sand winning, until boundary issues are resolved.
To prevent further escalation, the Chiefs and security heads recommended military and police patrols in the area.
The Chiefs commended the efforts of the Northern Regional Security Coordinator and the North East Gonja and Nanton assemblies for their prompt response.
“Your timely intervention prevented a potential violent confrontation” a Chief emphasised.
Press conference by Nkperibeto Youth
In a press release by the ‘NKperibeto Youth’ on the current land dispute and boundary issues between Kakpande and Nanton Traditional Areas at Cheko dated 3rd January, 2026, they stated that, “the current Cheko Community is a village under the Kakpande Traditional Area in the North East Gonja District of the Savannah Region.”
According to them, Cheko was formerly located in the Eastern part of Jerigu under the Nanton Traditional Area in Dagbon but migrated to its current location in 1990, which falls under Gonjaland.
For centuries, Dagbon and Gonja have lived as neighbours bound by culture, trade, and intermarriages.
In 2023, Gonjaland, through the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs, opposed the adoption of the revised Dagbon Constitution by the National House of Chiefs, quoting inconsistent land boundaries between the two kingdoms in the draft Constitution.
By Christopher Amoako
