The developers, who had gone to their site to work, were also chased away by the men, who were said to be wielding weapons, after being robbed of their monies and mobile phones.

The purported land guards, numbering about 20, proceeded to destroy some construction materials, including cement bags and building blocks.

They later set some structures ablaze and pulled down some buildings at the lintel and footing levels.

Chief’s suspected involvement

Narrating the incident to reporters who visited the site, the workers noted that their work equipment was sent to the palace of the Chief of Gbetsile, Nii Teye Amankwah Sune.

“Our working tools were sent to the chief’s palace and the land guards who attacked us are known guards who are most often seen around the chief.”

“The land guards took away our working tools including wheel borrows, head pans, shovels amidst the destruction of some bags of cement. The land guards further set some structures ablaze and destroyed footing of developers as well as destroyed some building blocks on site,” they recounted.

“The land guards, after destroying about ten bags of cement, stole our mobile phones and took away monies on us and in addition subjected some of us who could not run to severe beatings,” some of the workers added.

“Some of us had to run for our lives upon seeing the land guards approach but the few who were caught unaware were severely beaten and were taken to the hospital. When we later went to the Chief’s palace for our working tools, we were threatened to be beaten again if we do not leave the house.”

“Why were the tools sent to the Chief’s palace if he has no idea of the attack on us?” they questioned.

The victims sustained various injuries as a result of the severe beating they received from the land guards.

They noted that a report had been lodged with the police, who had issued all the victims with a medical form.

When contacted, the chief said he wanted to contact his lawyers before speaking on the matter.

“I shall ask my lawyer to respond to you; I have a meeting and I would invite you over to my palace for a meeting,” Nii Teye Amankwah Sune said.

Complaints to police

Developers at Gbestsile Obeyeyie have been facing land guard attacks each time they visit their site and this has been a worry to them.

They expressed their frustration with the Gbetsile police for failing on several occasions to effect any arrest each time a report is made.

“This is not the first time we are being attacked by these land guards but we are yet to see any serious action taken against them by the Gbetsile police. The only result we often get is from the Afienya Police Command who are swift to respond to our call each time we are attacked,” they noted.

They appealed to the police to act dispassionately and bring the perpetrators of these constant attacks to book as they are known faces in town.

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By: Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Land guards assault developers, ransack construction site at Gbetsile appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to them, land guards have over the past years been disturbing them, but several reports made to the Gbetsile police have yielded no result.

To the residents, they have lost hope in the police, and if the Inspector General of Police (IGP) does not act swiftly to address the land guard menace in the area, they would be forced to take the law into their own hands.

The residents noted that, last Friday, one Ahmed, a known land guard in the area together with some soldiers attacked them on their lands.

“We have over the past years been living under constant attack by these land guards without the police doing anything about it. We always have to run for our lives because on several occasions, we have gone to the Gbetsile police to report our case to them but they rather end up arresting us instead.”

They mentioned one Ransford Tetteh a.k.a Killer, and one Ahmed, who is believed to be an ex-soldier, as the leaders of the land guards who have been terrorizing them any time they go to work on their lands.

The residents also alleged that, the chief land guard, Armed, together with his boys, are usually accompanied by soldiers who join hands to brutalize them on their lands.

“We are appealing to the Inspector General of Police to as a matter of urgency ensure sanity in the system by clamping down on these land guards who are giving us sleepless nights. We cannot  endure all these land guards activities anymore. The security services must as well clean the service of corrupt policemen and soldiers who aide land guards to carry out their operations,” an angry landowner, named only as George, lamented.

“We have been to the police several times and they seem not to be concerned about our reports made to them. What is more hurting is how soldiers team up with these land guards to terrorize us, beat us up and fire gun shots sporadically at us on our lands.”

The worried residents continued that “we have police medical forms and hospital reports as well as pictures of some of the atrocities suffered in the hands of these land guards, which have received no attention from the Gbetsile police.”

They however called on the police hierarchy and the military high command, to come to their aid, since they feel unsafe in the community because of the activities of these land guards.

The menace of lang guards causing mayhem and making life uncomfortable for land owners, is a national issue yet to be fully addressed by government and the various security agencies.

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By: Elvis Washington/citifmoline.com/Ghana

The post Soldiers, police helping land guards to terrorize us – Gbetsile land owners appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Nigerians say it seems their Ghanaian counterparts simply want them out of the markets at all cost.

GUTA resolved to close various shops in both Accra and Kumasi for four days to protest against unfavourable government policies directed at their businesses.

The directive was also aimed at getting foreign traders out of the Ghanaian markets.

Some shops in Accra have not opened in adherence to GUTA’s directive.

Speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer of the All Nigerian Community- an association of Nigerians living in Ghana, Barry Ndu Nwaihim stated that attempts by the Association to hold discussions with GUTA had proved futile.

The problem, he said, was affecting the mental stability of traders.

“These traders don’t even know whether the Police will come and lock their shops again so their mental state has already been affected,” Mr. Nwaihim said.

He noted that there are uncertainties surrounding the fate of Nigerian traders in Ghana as a result of the directive.

Meanwhile GUTA members are expected to fully open their shops on Friday.

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post GUTA refused to meet us – Nigerian traders appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.