Upper West police round up 35 land disputants

By Abubakari Ibrahim Wangara, GNA

Wa, Oct. 02, GNA – The Police in Upper West on
Monday rounded up 35 persons including two women engaged in violent dispute
over ownership of a parcel of land being used for sand winning.

The disputants were reported to have assaulted
residents and police personnel attempting to restore calm in Chansa and Nakori
communities in the Wa Municipality where the brawl had been brooding for over
five years until escalating last week.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vincent
Appiah, the Wa Municipal Police Commander, confirmed apprehending the suspects
to Ghana News Agency on Monday.

He said the suspects did not only assault
police officers and some residents of the communities, but caused extensive
destruction to farm produce and also blocked roads, denying road users access.

According to the police some three persons
from Nakori on September 26th, this year reported that they had gone sand
winning with their tipper truck on a parcel of land but some inhabitants
numbering about 30 attacked them.

The police visited the area and made some
arrests but some disgruntled Nakori youth demanded the release of the suspects
and threatened to burn down the police vehicle.

The police refused to release the suspects,
but the youth in their large numbers forcefully opened the police vehicle and
set free their colleagues.

DSP Appiah said the two women who are part of
those taken into custody contributed to assaulting the police officers deployed
to the communities to restore peace.

The suspects have been remanded into prison
custody and will reappear before the Wa Magistrate Court for rioting and
refusing people’s right to move freely.

DSP Appiah admonished the public to desist
from obstructing law abiding citizens from accessing public places like the
roads when they were aggrieved over such matters.

GNA