A violent clash between the youth of Okurase in Upper West Akyem District in the Eastern Region and land guards has left one person feared dead and several others with machete injuries.
The bloody clash stemmed from a land dispute that escalated following the declaration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the winner of the presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Starr News has gathered that the land guards were deployed by developers seeking to secure disputed lands local farmers claim were illegally seized from them.
There is a widespread growing issue of land grabbing in Upper West Akyem and Ayensuano, and Nsawam and Suhum areas where real estate developers and sand miners are accused of dispossessing farmers through the use of armed thugs.
The developers always claim to have acquired the lands from Ofori Panin Fie in Kyebi.
The NDC during a campaign ahead of the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary election in the affected areas promised to investigate these cases and restore unlawfully acquired lands to their rightful owners.
On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, tensions escalated when the youth of Okurase got wind of the presence of land guards in the area.
Armed with machetes, the youth ambushed the land guards which led to a violent clash and resulted in multiple injuries on both sides.
Three of the land guards sustained severe injuries and were taken to the chief’s palace while bleeding profusely.
However, reports indicate that the chief went into hiding, leaving the injured land guards at the palace for hours before they were eventually released.
A witness recounted, “I heard the newly elected NDC MP promised to reclaim all seized lands for the rightful owners. After he won, the Real estate Developers brought land guards to destroy farmlands. The town boys butchered three of them. One of the victims is reportedly dead.
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