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Tag: land dispute

  • Benlord formally pleads not guilty to charges in murder of soldier in Kasoa land dispute

    Benlord formally pleads not guilty to charges in murder of soldier in Kasoa land dispute

    Nana Barima Ababio, also known as BenLord Ababio, and his associate Nana Kofi Amo Kwakye, both of whom claim traditional titles, appeared in the Accra High Court over charges related to a fatal land dispute that led to the death of Lance Corporal Michael Danso.

    The pair face conspiracy charges, with BenLord Ababio additionally charged with murder.

    Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the accusations in front of Justice Lydia Osei-Marfo, a Court of Appeal judge temporarily presiding over the High Court.

    The court denied bail to Nana Barima Ababio, citing the seriousness of the charges, the weight of the evidence, and concerns for both public safety and his own security.

    Meanwhile, Kwakye, who had previously been granted bail by the Amasaman High Court in July 2024, was again granted bail, but with stricter conditions.

    Kwakye’s bail was set at GHC 1 million, with two sureties required to provide property documents matching or exceeding that value.

    The court specified that these documents must be fully registered with the Land Commission and verified by the court’s registrar.

    Additionally, Kwakye was required to surrender his passport, and his sureties had to present their Ghana Cards as identification. He must also report to the CID Operations Director every Friday.

    The case has been adjourned to October 30, 2024, with the prosecution ordered to file their final disclosures before that date.

    The case stems from an incident on April 30, 2024, when Lance Corporal Danso and two colleagues, Lance Corporals Abdul Omar Rahman and Ametus Matthew, went to Millennium City Police Station to file a complaint about trespassers developing land belonging to Rahman.

    While at the station, BenLord Ababio allegedly opened fire, killing Lance Corporal Danso instantly before being subdued and arrested by the police. Investigations later led to Kwakye’s arrest as well.

    The defendants’ legal team confirmed they had received the Bill of Indictment, and the prosecution, led by Dufie Selasi, stated that all necessary disclosures had been provided.

    The court convened for a Case Management Conference and issued further directions.

  • Akufo-Addo’s bodyguard hot

    Akufo-Addo’s bodyguard hot

    The Ashale Botwe Family has filed a suit before the High Court in Accra (Land Division 8), requesting the imprisonment of Captain Edmund Kojo Koda, a security aide to President Akufo-Addo, along with Eugene Sowah Odamtey and Hares Muda, for contempt of court.

    Represented by Nii Afutu Kotey Gbomase II, the family claims that the actions of Captain Koda, Odamtey, and Muda have undermined the administration of justice in an ongoing land litigation case.

    According to Nii Gbomase II, the High Court, Accra, ruled in favor of Eugene Sowah and others in a land dispute in 2000. The current motion, filed on July 26, 2024, asserts that the respondents were required to follow legal procedures before taking possession of the land.

    The land in question is located in Borteyman, a suburb of Accra. The applicant contends that Captain Koda, Sowah, and Muda should have obtained a signed writ and order of possession and posted notice of the order before executing possession. Instead, the applicant alleges that the respondents ignored these legal requirements and forcibly took possession of the land without a court order.

    Nii Gbomase II states that on January 17, 2024, Odamtey applied for leave to issue a writ of possession to reclaim the disputed land in accordance with a judgment affirmed by the Supreme Court. The applicant opposed this application on June 26, 2024, but the court granted Odamtey’s request.

    Aggrieved by this decision, Nii Gbomase filed a notice of appeal seeking to overturn the ruling and subsequently filed an application for a stay of execution on July 12, 2024, serving it to Odamtey through his counsel. Despite this, the applicant alleges that Odamtey, with the aid of Captain Koda and Muda, went onto the disputed land to take possession even before the writ was issued.

    The applicant asserts that the respondents continue to forcibly occupy the land despite being notified of the stay of execution application. This conduct, according to Nii Gbomase II, demonstrates a complete disregard for the judicial process.

    “That I am advised by counsel and verily believe same to be true that the conduct of the respondents is not only wilful but it also constitutes an unlawful interference with the administration of justice and undermines the authority of the court,” the application stated.

    It further asserted, “That the respondents’ wrongful conduct is tantamount to contempt of court and warrants imposition of such appropriate punitive sanction, to serve as a deterrent to others who may dare tread the same path as the respondents.”

  • Military clash with Senya Bereku residents over land dispute

    Military clash with Senya Bereku residents over land dispute

    There has been a clash between residents and chiefs of Senya Bereku in the Central Region and some military officers from the Ghana Armed Forces over a land dispute.

    The conflict is rooted in a long-standing dispute between the Gomoa Fetteh Traditional Council and the Senya Bereku Traditional Council over one hundred acres of land.

    The Gomoa Fetteh Traditional Council intends to allocate this land to the military.

    In an effort to prevent the handover of the land to the military, members of the Senya Traditional Council besieged the area, obstructing the ceremony scheduled to officially transfer the land to the military.

    They have also threatened mayhem if the authorities at Gomoa Fetteh proceed with handing over the land to the military. The Acting Chief of Senya Bereku, Nai Kwaku Kormittey, affirmed their determination to resist any attempt to transfer their land to the military.

    “The Fetteh people approached us and we spoke to them about the said piece of land. We informed our lawyers about the move for advice but before we realised the military had entered the piece of land working. We heard that they were coming here to perform an official ceremony to hand over the land to their officer so we besieged the land.

    “We want to tell the President of the state to look into the matter. An estate developer gave them a piece of land close to our land but they have sold it and now trying to approach our land. We won’t agree”Nai Kormittey said.

  • Renewed land dispute at Lukula leaves one dead

    Renewed land dispute at Lukula leaves one dead

    One person has been reported dead in a renewed land dispute between Gonjas and Mamprusis in Lukula, a town in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region.

    The victim reports say is a chief from Jang in the Jang Traditional Area of the Mamprugu Traditional Council in the North East Region.

    The unfortunate event occurred in the early hours of today, Thursday, June 1 at Mempeasem and Lukula.

    The Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril who confirmed the incident said the chief died as a result of today’s clash.

    “The Regional police commander only told me that one person died in today’s unfortunate clash and he is a chief from Jang of the Mamprugu side”, he said in response to the alleged killing of seven persons in the clash.

    According to him, rumors about today’s clash between the two tribal groups gained momentum in the last two days but broke loose today leading to the destruction of properties worth thousands of cedis.

    On what occasioned the dispute and the history behind it, he explained that the Wasipe Traditional Council of Gonja and the Jang Traditional Area of Mamprugu are claiming ownership of the disputed land which have the Lukula and Mempeasem communities situated there.

    He however stressed that, the two communities administratively falls under the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region and “there’s no dispute about that”.

    “The only dispute we have is about the two Traditional Areas, the Jang Traditional Area located in the North East Region and the Wasipe Traditional Area located in the North Gonja District in the Savannah Region”.

    “These two Paramountcies claimed that those communities belongs to them and for that matter, they have to enskinned their chiefs in those two communities and that is how this dispute begun”, he explained.

    The situation he said has forced residents of the two communities to take cover in other communities for fear of their lives leaving the aged and vulnerable behind.

    He revealed that a joint security personnel from the North East and Savannah Regions deployed to the scene have brought the situation under control.

    Background

    Clashes have been going between the two tribal groups for some time now over Lukula with each group claiming ownership of the community as part of their lands.

    It begun in 2019 after alleged attempts by the Wasipe Traditional Council of the Gonja Kingdom to enskin a chief to supercede over the community.

    The rivalry in the past has left properties worth millions of cedis destroyed.

  • Two arrested over Dzorwulu land dispute

    Two people have been arrested in connection with the disturbances at Dzorwulu in Accra over disputed land.

    The suspects, Nana Owusu Banahene and James Quainoo, allegedly organized thugs with an excavator to demolish a four-bedroom apartment building at Dzorwulu on Monday (24 October 2022).

    The police said before the demolition, the suspects and their accomplices attacked the occupants of the house.

    “The police responded to the scene to restore calm,” the statement said. “The perpetrators upon seeing the police abandoned the excavator and escaped from the scene.”

    “Police later had information that one of the vehicles belonging to the suspects had run into a ditch and was attacked by a mob who pelted them with stones, injured one of the suspects, James Quainoo, and set his car ablaze.”

    The injured suspect is at the hospital receiving medical attention, the statement added. An investigation has so far revealed that no one was shot during the incident.

    “Investigation continues and all available footage on the incident are being reviewed as part of the investigation process. Efforts are underway to arrest all other perpetrators to face justice,” the police said.

     

  • In a land dispute, a Tanzanian court ruled against the Maasai community

    In a case involving a land dispute between them and the Tanzanian government, the Maasai community’s appeal was denied by the East African Court of Justice. The property is situated in the well-known Serengeti.

    The Maasai petitioners wanted the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to stop the Tanzanian government from removing them and their livestock by force from the border of the Serengeti Reserve and Loliondo Wilderness.

    They argued that the government had violated the terms of the agreement for establishing the East African Community.

    However, reading the court’s decisions, judge Charles Nyachae on behalf of judge Monica Mgenyi, said that the petitioners, livestock keepers of the Maasai community, failed to prove their claims that they were tortured and beaten.

    Nyachae also said the petitioners could not provide evidence that their property was destroyed by people they described as soldiers of the police force.

    “We are unable to receive sufficient evidence from the petitioners and we dismiss the reference,” the judge said while reading the verdict.

    Judges of the East African Court of JusticeThe East African Court of Justice judges said the Maasai petitioners failed to prove their claims

    In their defense, the attorney general of the Tanzanian government pointed out that they did not use force or torture to remove the herders who invaded the Serengeti National Park which borders the Ngorongoro area in the north.

    Long-standing case

    In the case opened in 2017 at the East African Court of Justice, the Maasai people had hoped for a declaration stating that the Tanzanian government violated the set laws.

    They also wanted an order from the court to stop the citizens’ evictions, arrest, detention, prosecution, and damage to their homesteads, livestock, and other property.

    They were also seeking an order for restitution and reinstatement from the government, their members, and residents to their lawful property and full reparation and general damages of one billion Tanzanian shillings ( €446,000, $428,000).

  • One shot dead, five arrested over land dispute

    One person has been shot dead after a renewed communal conflict between some residents of Doba in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kandiga in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

    Five people have been arrested in connection with the clash and are in police custody assisting with investigations.

    The Public Relations Officer of Upper East Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police, David Fianko-Okyere has explained that the clash occurred on Sunday evening [May 22, 2022.]

    He said the renewed clash was related to a recent land dispute in the area between the chiefs and people of the two communities.

    According to ASP Fianko-Okyere, calm has been restored to the area.

    The communal conflict started in 2020 when the two communities claimed ownership of a land on which a Police post and a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound were to be constructed.

    The conflict then led to gunshots from the two factions leading to loss of lives, destruction of property such as houses and farmlands particularly through burning.

    It also led people to seek shelter elsewhere, prompting the Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to form a joint military and police operation team to keep the place calm and maintain law and order. The Ministry of the Interior has also imposed a curfew in the area.

    Source: Graphic online

  • Chiefs who engage in double sale of land risk up to 10 years in jail Appeals Court Judge

    A Judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei has warned Chiefs and others persons who engage in the double sale of lands to put an end to it as they can be jailed for up to 10 years for doing so.

    Speaking on Court Nkomo which airs of KNM TV on YouTube, the Court of Appeals Judge said this sentence is part of the punishments prescribed in the Lands Law which was promulgated recently to help deal with the numerous land litigation issues in the country.

    “…if you sell land for two different people can be jailed for five years and the maximum is 10 years…you can also be fined from GHC60,000 to GHC 120,000 for the same offence…,” he said.

    Justice Adjei also said that promulgators of the new land law took into consideration the need to sanitise the administration system in the country when drafting the document.

    “No judge can sentence a person found guilty to a prison term of less than five years, no, not even four years, once the judge wants to imprison you, then the punishment as stated in the law is a minimum sentencing of five years and maximum is 10 years…,”

    This law, he said, is applicable to everyone and not only chiefs.

    Below is the full interview on the new Land Law:

    Source: angelonline.com.gh

  • 3 killed, 10 houses burnt in Upper East following land dispute

    Three persons are reported dead and at least 10 houses burnt at Kandiga and Doba communities, in the Kassena-Nankana West District and Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region, following renewed clashes over land.

    The police Kassena-Nankana Municipal Police Command had so far arrested 11suspects, and retrieved one pump action gun, three single barrel guns and twelve live carriages, from them.

    The Kassena-Nankana Municipal Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Francis Oppong Agyare, confirmed the story to the Ghanaian Times, here on Monday.

    He said when the police received a distress call on Saturday dawn that some houses were in flames in the conflict communities, they alerted the Ghana National Fire Service.

    DSP Agyare said normalcy had returned to the area, and people were going about their activities peacefully.

    He said the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) imposed curfew in the conflict areas since June, this year following land dispute.

    DSP Agyare said “the MUSEC has been managing the situation until Sunday when a 23-year-old man was murdered on his way to his farm. The man is from Kandiga, but allied to the Doba Chief, so he was killed by people, believed to have come from Kandiga, which triggered the clash again. It subsequently turned into a conflict between some members of the Kandiga community, those who they think aligned themselves to the Doba Chief, were targeted”.

    It would be recalled that in June this year, six people were reported killed and 12 houses torched after some residents from the Doba and Kantiga clashed over land intended for a police station project.

    The police arrested 10persons in connection with the June violence, some guns and cartridges retrieved from suspects and they were put before court.

    Source: Ghanaian Times

  • MP demands presidential enquiry into Dome Faase military brutalities

    The Member of Parliament (MP) for Domeabra Obom, Sophia Karen Ackuaku, has called on President Akufo-Addo, to launch a presidential enquiry into the Dome Faase military brutalities for culprits to be prosecuted and affected community dwellers compensated for their loss.

    The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentarian, who was in the thick of affairs that fateful Tuesday, wants the military to answer why it handed armed soldiers to a man with a serious questionable character including serving a jail term, ending in the death of one man and injuring of two soldiers.

    “…His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should cause an investigation into the circumstances under which the military command deployed armed military men to a man who has turned out to be a criminal and an imposter to harass the people of Dome Faase”, she has said. She believes the enquiry, will allay fear of the traumatized people that, Barfour Sarpong Kumankuma, the man behind the recorded atrocities, will not be made to face the law as amember of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) having secured a job with the Forestry Commission (FC).

    Additional information published by The Herald last week, indicate that, Barfour Sarpong Kumankuma did not act alone as credible information picked up shows he apparently works for Thomas Oppong Peprah; the Army Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces’ (GAF).

    The notorious former National Security operative and ex-military officer, who was jailed in the UK for six years, goes about seizing land for a so called estate agency business and recruits young men in land guarding activities.

    It is emerging that though his criminal activities are known by the military, he has not been called to order, because he has the full backing of Mr Oppong Peprah.Madam Ackuaku said, the people of Dome Faase, anticipate nothing short of thorough prosecution and compensation for the affected community members.

    “Many are worried that Barfour Sarpong may escape punishment because he is an appointee of this government at the Forestry Commission and moved around in a vehicle with New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag hanged in it and the late Sir John’s poster on it.This should not be one of the many cases in which operatives of the NPP have been shielded and made to go unpunished because their Party is in power.

    The chiefs and good people of Domeabra Obom constituency, particularly those whose properties were destroyed, those who were beaten and injured, those who were unjustifiably arrested and tortured, and those who had to endure the inconvenience of fleeing their homes, expect nothing but arrest, prosecution and compensation for their anguish”.

    She blamed the security agencies whose attention was drawn earlier through a petition to the President saying “If the State had responded to the countless petitions about the conduct of Barfour Sarpong, we would not have recorded the unfortunate incident at Dome Faase”.Her plea contained in a statement last Wednesday,was in reaction to a similar statement by the Okyenhene calling on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) James Oppong Boanuh, to arrest and prosecute Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma, after the latter claimed in a television interview that, his actions at Dome Faase, were backed by the Akyem Abuakwa stool, adding he was only collecting and policing the Dome Faase lands for the Okyenhene.

    The ex-Military officer, claimed he and others, act at the whims and caprices of Okyehene. “We are his people, we are only his police who guard his lands, and serve as his labourers”, he revealed.But in a swift response, the Okyehene debunked the various claims made in his name, saying the man in question was not even the Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa. The statement signed by Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Dan Ofori Atta, listed a number of criminal activities Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma, has been implicated in. He was also accused of disrespecting the Stool as several summons by it Council to answer certain questions, were never honoured.

    “We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma, is not the Mponuahene of AkyemA buakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

    “He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorized sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark.

    He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities,” according to the statement from the AkyemAbuakwa State”.

    Welcoming Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin clarification as “soothing”, the MP said it was a step in the right direction for the revered chief to set the record straight and demandthe investigation and prosecution of Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma who until recently pride himself as a chief.”For the purposes of emphasis, the IGP should immediately arrests Barfour Sarpong as instructed by the Okyehene and ensure he face the law squarely”, she added her voice to the call.She was worried about the damage the action of the armed soldiers and the disputed chief saying “Beyond the physical destruction of properties, the psychological effects of the military’s action flowing from Barfour Sarpong’s conduct, is dire”.

    She had words for her accusers who in the heat of the incident, blamed her saying “The political entrepreneurs who, instead of calling their Party’s inspired imposter, Barfour Sarpong, to order, but failed to do so, and rather went on a wild goose’s chase, castigating me for siding with the Chiefs to confront the imposter, must now bury their heads in shame for pushing their Party’s agenda other than helping the chiefs and youth fight for what belongs to the Ga State.

    Aside the assault on NIA officials, teachers and other innocent people, the unfortunate development has created a panicky situation in the Constituency. Constituents have been left traumatized and the children, particularly BECE candidates are struggling to get over the emotional torture they were put through”.

    The MP reiterated her call to the community members who fled the area during the incident to return as calm has been restored.

    “I am urging all those who fled their homes to return as calm has been restored. Their safety is assured and they can go about their normal business without hindrance and/or harassment from any person or group of persons.

    I extend a hand of gratitude to all those who showed interest in this unneeded spectacle and stood with the people of Domeabra Obom to draw down the curtains.

    Source: The Herald

  • Okyenhene not involved in Dome Faase land dispute Spokesperson

    Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has denied claims of his involvement in the land boundary dispute at Dome Faase in the Obom Domeabra constituency.

    The Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Daniel Ofori Atta clarified this on behalf of the Okyenhene in a Citi News interview.

    He noted that, one of the key figures in the dispute, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma said to be the Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has not been commissioned by Okyenhene to draw a boundary between the Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga States.

    Daniel Ofori Atta thus called for the immediate arrest and investigation of Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma .

    “The man who is said to have hired those hoodlums to cause mayhem was not sent to Dome Faase by the Okyenhene. We do not recognise him as chief within the Akyem Abuakwa traditional establishment. He has no authority to invade the township of Dome Faase.”

    “We are denying completely the assertion that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma was dispatched to Dome Faase to draw a boundary between Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. We do not want any incident where the relationship between the Ga state and Akyem Abuakwa will be marred by this single incident,” he said.

    The coalition of Ga communities had alleged that the Mponuahene of Akyem Apadwa and the Akyem Traditional Council in the Eastern Region were taking their farmlands from them hence the resistance that led to chaos on August 25, 2020.

    Hundreds of fear-stricken residents subsequently fled after claiming they were being harassed by military officers.

    Over one hundred residents who were arrested by the military over the dispute were later released after a request by the elders of the community.

    Below is full statement from the office of Okyenhene

    THIS IS WITH AUGUST ORDER OF THE OKYENHENE REGARDING THE INVASION OF DOME FAASE IN THE OBOM-DOMEABRA CONSTITUENCY

    It has become necessary and of immediate concern to react to news reports that a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has attributed his unlawful conduct with regards to the invasion of Dome Faase to the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    The news as reported by several media outlets represents a grave assault on the dignity of the Ofori Panin Stool.

    On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

    The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa.  He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

    He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark.  He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.

    This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase.  Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene.

    What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State.  The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.

    Further to this point, I am directed to call on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

    Signed

    M. OFORI ATTA

    STATE SECRETARY

    CC:         THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE

    HEADQUARTERS ACCRA

    THE GA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

    Source: citinewsroom

  • Dome Faase clashes: Deal with purported Apedwa Chief Okyenhene ropes in IGP

    Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has condemned the recent violent clashes at Dome Faase in the Obom-Domeabra constituency.

    In a statement issued by Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Dan Ofori Atta, the Okyenhene also called on the Inspector General of Police to take swift action against the purported chief that instigated the violence.

    “On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma [who claims to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa] with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

    “The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin,” the statement copied to the Inspector General of Police in Accra and the Ga Traditional Council read.

    The statement from the Okyehene comes days after Akyem Apedwa, an ex-soldier broke his silence on the violent incident that grabbed headlines for days.

    Nana Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma claimed that he was working for Okyenhene, Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    According to the traditional ruler, he only serves at the pleasure of the Akyem Abuakwa king, implying the unleashing of gun brutalities at the community in the Domeabra-Obom Constituency, was carried out with explicit permission from the Okyenhene.

    The ex-Military officer, formerly with the dreaded 64 Battalion under former President Jerry John Rawlings, said he and others, act at the whims and caprices of Okyehene and that they only act on his orders serving as his police guards protecting his lands.

    But the Okyenhene denies any such involvement in the dastardly act that brought the town to a halt when at least 200 armed soldiers stormed the area in retaliation to an attack by residents on two of their men.

    “We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognised and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

    “He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark. He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities,” according to the statement from the Akyem Abuakwa State.

    Read the full statement below.

    PUBLIC STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    THIS IS WITH AUGUST ORDER OF THE OKYENHENE REGARDING THE INVASION OF DOME FAASE IN THE OBOM-DOMEABRA CONSTITUENCY

    It has become necessary and of immediate concern to react to news reports that a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has attributed his unlawful conduct with regards to the invasion of Dome Faase to the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    The news as reported by several media outlets represents a grave assault on the dignity of the Ofori Panin Stool.

    On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

    The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

    We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

    He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark. He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.

    This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase. Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene.

    What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.

    Further to this point, I am directed to call on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

    Signed D. M. OFORI ATTA STATE SECRETARY

    CC: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS ACCRA

    THE GA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Traditional leaders, G/R Minister to devise roadmap for resolving Dome Faase land dispute

    Traditional leaders in Dome Faase, where a clash over a land boundary dispute occurred, are expected to meet the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey, to devise a roadmap towards restoring calm in the area.

    The Omankrado for the Obom Domeabra community, Nii Addo made this known on Eyewitness News on Thursday, August 27, 2020.

    He said the meeting will be held today, Friday, August 28, 2020.

    “We are meeting with our Greater Accra Regional Minister and others to find a way forward. We are planning what to tell them on Friday,” Nii Addo said.

    He pointed out that the military personnel deployed to the town had left after retrieving their rifles that were seized by residents.

    “As I spoke, everybody listened to me and by the grace of God, they retrieved all their rifles.”

    The coalition of Ga communities had alleged that the Mponuahene of Akyem Apadwa and the Akyem Traditional Council in the Eastern Region were taking their farmlands from them hence the resistance that led to the chaos on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

    Hundreds of fear-stricken residents fled after claiming they were being harassed by military officers.

    Some residents told Citi News that military personnel deployed to the area moved from one house to the other, demanding to see the men in the house.

    They also claimed that the military personnel ransacked their rooms.

    The residents say they will only return if the military personnel are withdrawn.

    Source: citinewsroom

  • Security Expert, Adib Saani condemns attack on Soldiers

    A security expert, Adib Saani, has condemned the attack on soldiers at Dome Faase, near Obom Domeabra.

    He said whether the victims were military men or landguards, there was no justification for the attack.

    He described what happened at Dome Faase as a “backward, retrogressive mob mentality”.

    He also condemned the actions of some military men, who went to retaliate after the two soldiers were brutalised at Dome Faase, saying that the issue could have been handled in a better way, especially when women had to run away from their homes to seek refuge elsewhere.

    He made the statement while speaking on Atinka 104.7 AM Drive, hosted by Ekourba Gyasi.

    After the incident, the Deputy Defence Minister came out to say those army personnel were sent by their authorities and did not go there on their own as speculated by the public.

    Source: Atinka Online

  • Dome-Faase Military ‘shutdown’: Mankrado in hiding, pleads for protection

    Nii Addo, Mankrado (traditional leader) of Obuom traditional area (Dome-Faase) is asking for protection.

    The Mankrado who is currently at a hideout in Accra says if his safety is assured, he will come out to assist the military look for their missing weapons.

    “If I am given the assurance that I will be safe, I will assist the soldiers to find the weapons,” he said.

    Two military officers who were reportedly on an operation in Dome-Faase were assaulted by residents and their guns seized. The vicinity was subsequently taken over by soldiers causing indigenes to flee.

    According to reports, Dome-Faase is now a ‘ghost town’.

    Nii Addo narrated what ensued to Kwami Sefa Kayi in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, and apologized to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Ghana Armed Forces for the unfortunate incident.

    “When we realized the soldiers were on the land we reported it to the police but they (police) said there is nothing they can do because according to the soldiers, they are obeying an order from above. What happened is indeed a condemnable act so I apologize to the President, the soldiers,” he stated.

    Residents flee after armed soldiers stormed community

    Hundreds of residents of Dome-Faase in the Ga South Municipality have deserted their homes after armed soldiers stormed the community.

    The personnel numbering over 300 besieged the town in search of some civilians who assaulted two soldiers during a land conflict.

    The two soldiers were severely injured when they were attacked by the irate residents over land ownership.

    Source: Peace FM

  • Obom: 26 health workers traumatised after military raid

    26 health workers of the Obom Health Centre are traumatised after military men raided the entire community to search for perpetrators who allegedly inflicted cutlass wounds on two soldiers during a clash over a disputed land.

    The Administrator of the facility, Adam Dramani alleged that the Military officers fired gunshots indiscriminately during the arrest of the civilians.

    Adam Addramani also alleged that some of his workers also “received several slaps.”

    He also said the military mistakenly arrested his worker thinking that they were part of the perpetrators.

    Due to the unfortunate incident, he complained that workers are refusing to go to work adding that two are on admission.

    Adams Dramani appealed to the military men to temper justice with mercy because many workers are leaving in fear.

    Meanwhile, a source close the Military high command indicates that one of the military guns used by the two soldiers has been found.

    Source: Atinka Online

  • Six dead, ten arrested over renewed Doba-Kandiga land dispute

    Six people including an old man of over 100 years have been killed, while four others sustained various degrees of injuries, following renewed violence over a land dispute between the people of Doba in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kandiga in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region at the weekend.

    About ten suspects have been arrested and weapons have been retrieved from them by security personnel who were immediately deployed to the conflict area to end the violence.

    The injured are receiving treatment at the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo.

    According to Superintendent Francis Opong Agyare, the Navrongo Municipal Police Commander, about 12 houses were set ablaze and the situation compelled many residents from the two communities to seek refuge elsewhere, particularly the Bolgatanga Municipality.

    In April, 2020, a communal conflict ensued between the two communities when one side of the factions, the Kandiga community dug a foundation at Akonkongo-Abempengo Electoral Area to facilitate the processes of putting up a Police post and a Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) compound.

    That did not go down well with the chief and people of Doba who claimed that they were the rightful owners of the said land where the projects were being constructed and wondered why the Kandiga people whom they described as settlers did not inform them.

    This eventually resulted into gunshots leading to the death of a 78-year old man and burning of some houses and farms in the area, forcing the Regional Security Committee to impose a curfew in the area and 31 persons were arrested and arraigned before the Bolgatanga High Court.

    Giving an account of what triggered the recent incident, the Police Commander, said about five individuals from Kandiga were arrested and remanded about a week ago following the murder of a 19-year old man and the suspects were granted bail by the Bolgatanga High Court.

    He said some people in Kandiga community begun to celebrate and hail the suspects as heroes upon their return to the community, and that did not go down well with the Doba people resulting in the reprisal attack.

    Superintendent Agyare noted that a joint military-police team had been deployed to the communities to maintain law and order, whilst the police were conducting its investigations into the incident.

    The Municipal Police commander revealed after Kassena-Nankana Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) meeting, that a proposal had been made to the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to consider involving the national security to boost security in the areas, while urging government to take custody of the disputed land to bring finality and peace to the protracted conflict.

    Meanwhile, Mr Williams Aduum, the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, who is also the Chairman of the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Security Committee, has appealed to the people to stop the conflict since they were all one.

     

    Source: GNA

  • Land disputes: We’re coming after you – Osu Wor-Lumor tells Presbyterian Church

    The Chief Priest of Osu, Wor-Lumor Nuumo Noi Sekanku Kpenuku II, has sent caution to the leaders of Presbyterian Church of Ghana that the people of Osu will soon come after them over what he describes as ‘exploitation’ from the church.

    He accused the church of cunningly taking portions of Osu lands that do not belong to them.

    According to the Wor-Lumor, the church was given five acres of land during the colonial era, at no fee, with an agreement to admit children of Osu for free in their schools.

    But the church, he stressed, has claimed more plots of lands without approval from custodians of the Osu lands.

    In a bare it all interview with the People & Places team on GhanaWeb TV, the chief priest claims the Osu Presby Church, located at the heart of Osu, has not only ‘stolen’ more plots of their land but they now take fees from children who attend their schools.

    “The missionaries also came and begged us for our lands to establish churches and schools. They have now turned round to take school fees from us. And we gave them our lands, especially the Presbyterian Church. I’m saying it for them to know. They gave us curbs of wine, two curbs of gun powder, and took just about five acres of land.

    But now the five acres have been extended into almost a quarter of a mile. And our children have to pay school fees when they go to their schools, no scholarship, and when even we have a ceremony and we need their conference halls, we need to pay. We have to pay, which we are not happy about.”

    Wor-Lumor Nuumo Noi Sekanku Kpenuku II in the exclusive interview with GhanaWeb expressed disappointment in the Church adding that the Osu people will soon go after them.

    “We want them to know, tell them, we want them to know that we will come at them very soon. Yes because if we give something to you free, you also have to give us something free. But if you take our property and you have to sip money from us, then it looks like you are the people who started the poll tax,” he told GhanaWeb.

    Speaking about the challenges bedeviling the Osu people, the Chief priest stated that government has forcefully claimed properties belonging to the Osu people.

    He emphasized that the elders and chiefs of Osu only signed an agreement with the colonial masters not the government of Ghana, hence they are astonished to see the government claiming ownership of their lands and properties, an act he says has made the people of Osu poor.

    “I would want the whole world to know that Osu is being beseeched by politicians. I don’t know if it is for the primeness of our lands because most of the government establishments from the colonial era is in Osu. And I don’t remember when the colonial masters handed over our properties to the Ghana government. Because all our properties that were given to the colonial masters were signed in an agreement between the chiefs, elders, and the colonial masters.

    Therefore by simple logic, if the colonial masters do not want that property again and they are going, then the ownership automatically reverses to the allodial owners. But now, the government is saying they own all the Osu lands. That has made us poor.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

     

     

  • Man reportedly killed over land dispute

    A 58-year-old man, Kudjo Dadudzi has been murdered at Djankwakye No 1, a suburb of Adukrom in the Eastern Region over land litigation.

    Martey Joshua, son of the deceased accompanied by Stephen Narh who reported the incident to the Somaya District police, explained that he had a call from his younger brother that, their father had been killed on his farm.

    He said he rushed to the scene and saw his father lying on his farm at Akorley Foah in a pool of blood with cutlass wounds all over his body.

    According to the police, the complainant said his 13-year-old younger brother, Desmond and one Mamuli said they were in the farm with the deceased when one Nartey who was litigating with the deceased over a piece of land came with two others, attacked and hit the deceased, who fell to the ground.

    They continued hitting the deceased on the ground with sticks and later use cutlass to inflict wounds on him.

    The eye witnesses informed the complainant that when Nartey and his accomplices saw the two boys, they chased them with a cutlass but they managed to escape.

    According to the police on receiving the complaint, the police proceeded to the scene and picked the body to the Atua Government Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

    According to the Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Command of the Police Service, the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Atua Government Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

    The police said efforts were being made to arrest the suspects to assist in investigations into the case.

  • Two friends in bloody fight over land

    A fight between two friends over a disputed land at Elobonkata in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region turned bloody last Sunday.

    Solomon Arku and Kwaku Prosper, both in their late 30s, are currently in critical condition and on admission at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi and the Agona Nkwanta Health Centre respectively after engaging in a brutal machete fight. They both sustained deep wounds on their bodies.

    District Police Commander DSP Valentine Akporsu said Solomon Arku was working on his farm in the early hours of Sunday when Kwaku Prosper suddenly appeared on the farm with a sharp machete.

    Prosper questioned Solomon about the land which did not belong to him and this led to heated exchanges between them, and in the process Prosper slashed the right shoulder of Solomon with the sharp machete.

    Solomon managed to collect the machete from Prosper and also inflicted wounds on his hands and back.

    According to the Police Commander, the case was purely a land litigation issue and had nothing to do with chieftaincy issue as had been perceived.

    “This case has been on our table for a long time. They have been having litigation about that particular land. The case has even reached the Regional Police Commander,” he said.

    He said the police were investigating the matter and would not spare any of the culprits.

     

    Source: Daily Guide Network

  • La Stool loses case over 49,000 acre land to Lakeside Estate

    The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the La Stool and three others against Agric Cattle and Lakeside Estate over some 49,420.53 acres of land situated at La Tsui Anaa.

    The La Stool wanted possession of the land which was declared the rightful possession of Agric Cattle and Lakeside Estate by the Court of Appeal.

    In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, dismissed the appeal on the basis that the original suit at the High Court, which culminated in the appeal, was a nullity because it was initiated by the La Traditional Council which had no capacity.

    Nullity

    It was the decision of the apex court that although the plaintiffs took steps to amend the writ and replaced the La Traditional Council with the La Stool, the fact that La Traditional Council had no capacity to sue rendered the entire legal action from the High Court to the Court of Appeal a nullity.

     

    “When did Traditional Councils become owners of stool lands? The La Traditional had no capacity to sue.

    Writ

    Now since the original writ was a nullity, all the subsequent amendments taken in the writ were also a nullity.The writ was the foundation upon which the entire action was built, thus when it is nullified, the super-structure of the action, which are the proceedings and the judgements founded on the invalid writ, must totally collapse,” the apex court ruled.

    The decision was written by Justice Samuel Marful-Sau. The other members on the panel were Justices Yaw Appau, Gabriel Pwamang and Professor Nii Ashie Kotey.

    Background

    On May 16, 2008, the La Traditional Council filed a suit at the Accra High Court claiming possession of the 49,420.53 acres of land which had been acquired by Agric Cattle and Lakeside Estate Limited.

    In January 2009, lawyers for the plaintiff amended the writ and replaced La Traditional Council with the La Divisional Council.

    The writ went through several amendments and at the end the plaintiffs had become Nii Obodai IV, La Mankralo, on behalf of the La Stool, SFA Limited and Fodas Estates Limited.

    The defendants were Agric Cattle, Santeo Mantse (Atta Quarshie), Kantamanso Mantse (Nii Otoo Laryea), Nungua Mantse (Nii Odaifio Welentsi II) and Lakeside Estate Limited.

    Decisions

    In its judgement, the High Court declared 2,911.53 acres of the disputed land as the rightful possession of the defendants and the remaining 46,509 acres as the rightful possession of the La Stool.

    Dissatisfied, the defendants filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

    On March 28, 2018, the Court of Appeal upheld the appeal and reversed the decision of the High Court, declaring the whole land for the defendants.

    It was that appeal that was also appealed at the Supreme Court by the La Stool and the other plaintiffs.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh 

  • Man stabbed in the scrotum over land dispute

    A 40-year-old man is fighting for his life after being stabbed in the scrotum over an alleged land dispute.

    The victim, Sampson Bortey, was said to have been attacked by some land guards on a disputed land at Gomoa Mafam near Buduburam in the Gomoa East District of the Central region.

    2 dead as land dispute turns ugly in Kumasi

    Brother of the victim, Kwaku Dorlah, who spoke to Adom News said his brother and other youth were sent by the chief of the town to protect the land.

    However, he claimed they were ambushed by the land guards in the bush and beaten to pulp.

    He said the victim tried to escape but was stabbed in the groin by one of the land guards.

    “The police later came to their rescue but later arrested the victim and his friends for starting the fight,” he said.

    Lands Commission sensitises Shai-Osudoku residents on land matters

    What was even worrying, Mr Dorlah said was the decision by the police to detain his injured brother.

    “My brother was put in the cell while bleeding profusely and all attempts to get him released proved futile,” he said.

    Source: adomonline.com