The Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abubakari II, has been laid to rest at the royal mausoleum in the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi in accordance with Dagbon traditional customs.
The burial, which took place before sunrise, followed customary rites led by the Kuga Naa, the traditional father of Dagbon, together with the Dagbon Consecrated Council of Elders.
The solemn ceremony marked the final farewell to the 41st Yaa Naa, whose reign was widely associated with peace, reconciliation and the restoration of stability within the Dagbon Kingdom.
Drums that had echoed throughout Yendi during the mourning period fell to subdued rhythms as the late king’s body was conveyed to the palace for the final burial rites.
In line with tradition, the rites began with the formal announcement of the king’s passing by the Kuga Naa, followed by purification rituals at the Gbewaa Palace ahead of the burial.
Security was heightened across Yendi as chiefs whose skins are directly derived from the Yaa Naa gathered at the palace forecourt to pay their final respects to the late overlord.
Royal drummers recited the lineage of the late king in solemn tones, replacing the celebratory bangumanga rhythms traditionally performed during the reign of a sitting Yaa Naa.
As custom dictates, the burial was conducted inside the royal mausoleum within the Gbewaa Palace, with only selected elders and members of the royal family permitted to witness the final rites.
Yaa Naa Abubakari II was enskinned on January 25, 2019, at the age of 87 following years of mediation by the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to resolve the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy dispute. His ascension brought an end to years of uncertainty after the 2002 conflict between the Andani and Abudu royal gates.
Throughout his reign, he was regarded as a unifying figure and worked to strengthen reconciliation and cohesion within the kingdom after years of division.
Traditional leaders, dignitaries and mourners from across the country joined residents of Yendi to pay their respects during the funeral ceremonies.
With the burial completed, Dagbon’s customary succession process now enters its next phase. The late Yaa Naa’s eldest son is expected to be enskinned as Kpampayaa Naa in the coming days to serve as Regent.
The Regent will oversee the administration of the kingdom, with the support of the Council of Elders, until the final funeral rites are completed and a new Yaa Naa is selected in accordance with Dagbon tradition.
For now, Yendi and the wider Dagbon Kingdom remain in mourning as residents reflect on the legacy of a ruler whose reign was defined by peace, reconciliation and the restoration of traditional authority.
