On March 27, 2002, Ya-Na, the Dagomba King of the Republic of Ghana, was murdered. More than five years after the guresome killing, the government has yet to arrest the murderers.

Author Ibrahim Mahama, himself a member of the royal family and a practising attorney, escaped into exile and now delivers a searing examination of the mysterious death of Ya-Naa as well as taking a closer look at the inner workings of his own country.

In Murder of an African King: Ya-Na Yakubu II, Mr. Mahama focuses on the two branches of the royal family — the Abudu Family and the Andani Family — and how Dagbon was ruled within the confines of a rotational succession system. Then, several years ago, the Abudu Family set in motion a series of actions designed to eliminate the rotational system in favour of one that would have a member of their family rule for an indeterminate time. Naturally, this was not acceptable to the members of the Andani Family.

Murder of an African King carefully traces the events leading up to the horrific violence of March 27, 2002 and its aftermath. It is deemed a landmark event in the history of Ghana. Mr. Mahama’s narrative is a compelling, detailed and passionate account of a major historical event that remains unsolved.