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

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At night, three separate groups, comprising real estate companies, land guards and sand winners reportedly invade the 1000 acre pineapple plantation located at Obuom, a low lying valley under a mountain called Sekyerekurom in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

“They come to your land with pay-loaders, bulldozers…look, it’s a matter of one hour for these guys to get on your land and destroy over 20 hectares” an incensed Production Manager for Golden Exotics Samuel Sarpong noted.”

“The memory of such attacks is fresh in the minds of workers of Golden Exotics. 60-year-old security man on the large tract of land, Julius, recollects how he was chased with a machete not long ago by a gang of 20 to 35-year-old land guards at night. “They came armed; they chased me with a machete on one of our plots which we have abandoned now,” he said.

The sand winners and the land guards, with the support of some real estate companies in the fast developing area, are plaguing the farms of Golden Exotics and they are doing it at a fast pace.

“If you have something like sucker beds they remove everything at the top including the plastic mulch, whatever you use in planting, they remove everything and then dig out a pit. They take out the topsoil to the extent that they leave gullies in there. They do this in a way that the land becomes unusable.”

At a 2.5 acre of the plantation used as a sucker bed, I saw heaps of sand mixed with suckers and plastic mulch. There were several pits, deep enough to hit the water table. It looked like an abandoned galamsey pit. According to the staff of Golden Exotic, this operation was carried out last Saturday night.

The police were called in, and arrests were made, but reports say the culprits managed to flee.

The hydra-headed cabal of sand winners, land guards and real estate developers are winning big against the commercial plantation and other smallholder farms. For example, Golden Exotic, which is a free zones company has had to lay off 800 of its 1000, all of whom are residents of Oboum, and cultivate only 200 hectares out of its 1000 hectare plantation.

For Golden Exotic, which also produces pineapples and banana at Asutsuare for exports, its only hope in this war is the Police.

But for the Production Manager of Golden Exotic, Samuel Sarpong, the Police give little hope.

Click below for the full report filed by Citi News’ Caleb Kudah:

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com

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This, he said, will bring an end to the unlawful acts of the land guards, many of whom are believed to have been hired by the traditional rulers to intimidate individuals who have rightfully purchased the lands.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QJz2li4IZMIQH5kTezXUGQLabSq7tD0C”]Cases of land guards terrorizing residents have risen in recent times in and around the capital.

A security expert, Dr. Kwesi Aning, accused the Police of not exhibiting enough seriousness in dealing with the menace.

The Police Administration has since responded to the growing concerns with operations to clamp down on land guard activities in the Greater Accra Region, which have resulted in over 60 arrests since October.

Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Ashitey said the police are up to the task to end the land guard menace within the region, beginning with a crackdown on the financiers of their operations.

“Those who are hiring these [land guards], when you arrest them [the chiefs] then, the land guards will stop working because they are their paymasters… Those self-styled chiefs who are hiring the land guards are strongly the source and the solution to the problem.”

“I think nowadays, they have started arresting them. They arrest the land guards and then they point to who are their paymasters. It is working. The regional commander is working on it,” the Minister said.

Job creation to curb menace

When he was nominated as Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Ashitey had pledged to ensure the creation of jobs for the youth to keep them from engaging in illegal activities.

He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the youth in the region get jobs,  insisting that this would ensure they are not exploited.

“People are taking advantage of these young men because they do not have jobs. That is why I am so happy with the one district, one factory policy. When we are able to give these people gainful employment, I think we will be able to reduce this land guard menace,” he said at the time.

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By: Philip Nii Lartey & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the Police do not need any instructions from the President or the Ministry of Interior to tackle such issues head-on.

The phenomenon of land guards terrorizing residents has worsened in recent times in various areas on the outskirts of Accra, with Kasoa in the Central Region recording more cases.

Police must sit up

Dr. Aning, while speaking at the third event in the Accra Dialogue series on “The Scars of Vigilantism: a legal or political question?” at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration Law Faculty on Wednesday, said Ghana’s ballooning population and unplanned urban growth are a recipe for disaster in the area of security, hence the police must sit up.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9sAwzVtfaJVMDCHwa4F7A3x5EYbCxn81″]“You really don’t need the president to give instructions to the police to crack the whip when people are breaking the laws of the land. You don’t even need the Minister of Interior to charge the police to act this way because that’s what they are there for.  So I’m raising the question – what is holding them back? I don’t have the answer, the police must tell us,” he said.

Ringleader Red Moro

With regards to activities of land guards in Kasoa, Dr. Aning said he had information on the ringleader and has given the police the information but no action has yet been taken.

“…I’ve also challenged the police that in Kasoa, the main land guard boss is a man called Red Moro. Three weeks ago I challenged the IGP to send his men to Kasoa to come to my office so that Red Moro could be arrested. No one has contacted me,” he bemoaned.

Kasoa, 50 other crime hotspots to emerge by 2021 – Aning

“In 4 years’ time, there will be 50 Kasoas in this country. We don’t want to think about the demographics. In 2063, we will be 70 million in this country. It will lead to massive urbanization, unplanned urban spaces, and it will have an impact on law enforcement. We ought to have at least 60,000 police officers now, but we now have 33,000. We don’t have enough. Kasoa is representative of the demographic plus the urban challenge that this country is going to face. It is a transient town, nobody knows anyone, nobody owes anybody allegiance and therefore the murders that we are seeing will escalate by 31st December this year,” Dr. Aning added.

Nine land guards grabbed at Gomoa Fetteh

Nine persons suspected to be gun-wielding land guards were arrested last week at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region by the Anti-Land Guards squad from the Police National Headquarters who were deployed to the Kasoa area.

The team, led by Chief Inspector John Danso of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) of the Ghana Police, arrested the suspects at the palace of the Chief of Gomoa Fetteh.

Already, the Greater Accra Regional Police Command has arrested some 50 land guards, some of whom have been processed for court.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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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

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The term ‘Land Guards’ is a local expression used to define heavily built and armed thugs who are usually hired by land owners to protect their landed properties, especially those in dispute.

[contextly_sidebar id=”EQsQLpIBAKR3BmGBtsVsrPaVMd8AJLer”]The phenomenon of Land Guards in Ghana, has led to the loss of many lives, whiles several others have been maimed.

Some land guards are also believed to have the support of powerful individuals within the security agencies, government, and judiciary services, for which reason most of them are barely punished for the heinous crimes they commit.

Touching on the issue during a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Osu Traditional Council, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, Mr. Amewu said there is a blue print being put together by government to end the illegal practice.

“His majesty, our visit here is to reiterate government’s intention of collaborating with stakeholders, including chiefs, elders, and opinion leaders who largely own these lands. His majesty, the NPP government is strongly of the view that development cannot take place in vacuum without the involvement of our chief and elders.”

Mr. Amewu added that, “we are also here to announce the presence of our team, and the willingness of the government of President Akufo Addo, to collaborate with you and the people of Osu kingdom, to make sure that the good crafted policies that the NPP government wants to implement will be implemented without any resistance.”

The Lands and Natural Minister said “We believe his majesty, over the period, you have been highly involved in government agenda towards development, and it is your wish that the government of Ghana continue to grow from strength to strength. It is on that basis that we have come to renew our alliance and the pledge by His Excellency, President Akufo Addo, to work with you and work with the people of this land.”

“The government of NPP within a short time in office has come with numerous projects and initiatives. We are all aware that some of those projects and initiatives were well crafted in our manifesto. It is our manifesto promises that brought us to office, and the President is more committed to deliver on these promises.

Nana Akufo-Addo is a man of his words and we believe that promises and pledges we make to Ghanaians, would be delivered.”

War on Land Guards

On the matter of land guards, the Minister said “As a Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, we have a clear mandate of what we are expected to do. We know that, we cannot work in a vacuum without your involvement. Over the years, the land management problems in Accra, Osu and other places have become a chronic management problem for the lands commission and also the ministry at large.”

He noted that, “currently, the issue of land guards has become a problematic one; government has crafted ideas and strategies to address this problem. We believe strongly that with your involvement and engagement, we can bring the land guard issue to a close” Mr. Amewu noted.

The Ministry also presented three computers, a printer, other computer accessories and an unspecified amount of money to the traditional authorities.
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By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The suspects allegedly “with impunity terrorize well-meaning Ghanaians from developing their lands.”

The suspects are Tetteh Attram, 41 years; Omega Agoe, 41 years; Ofori Joel, 30 years; and Derrick Aryee, 20 years, Godwin Amegashie, 47 years; Joseph Okaijah, 30 years; and Aryee Boye, 21 years.

According to a police statement, Thursday at about 2:00 pm, they gathered intelligence that two groups, suspected to be land guards had clashed over a piece of land within Kokrobite.

“Police information is that, they had both gone there to claim a digging fee of GHc 1,500 from a developer who had lawfully acquired a property and was developing it, hence the clash,” the statement added.

The Police also impounded 16 motorbikes and a Ford pickup from the scene of the clash.

Four suspects are reported to have sustained various degrees of injury and are receiving treatment at the hospital.

The suspects are to be arraigned today [Friday]. The threat posed by land guards is one of the topmost security threats to the safety of Ghanaians particularly in Accra.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The land guards, who were wielding guns and machetes, stormed the Believers House Worship International on Monday and set the building ablaze.

Musical instruments, chairs and some electrical gadgets worth several hundreds of thousands of cedis were all destroyed.

The Manet Police is yet to commence investigations into circumstances that led to the action.

According to the Head Pastor of the Church, Rev. Abraham Lamptey, the Church was summoned to court over a suit challenging their ownership of the land about seven months ago.

He said the Church responded and there is an ongoing case in court to determine the rightful owner of the land.

He said he was shocked that the other party could take the law into their own hands and perpetuate the act.

“I was home today when I had a call that some 10 thugs, land guards had come to the site, chased everyone out of the place with gun, entered the auditorium, poured petrol and set the place ablaze and burnt everything.

They fled in their pickup and got out of the place. Nobody could stand because they were holding guns and ready to shoot,” Rev. Lamptey told Citi News in an interview.

He said the church three months earlier, received threats from the land-guards.

Some members of the church were seen trying to salvage a few of the properties left in the auditorium later in the day.

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By: Jonas Nyabor & Zoe Abu-Baidoo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Successive mayors, upon the assumption of office, always promise to reclaim the Ramsar site from the hands of encroachers but to no avail.

According to the new mayor, the Ramsar site to provide oxygen to residents of Tema and also neutralize the effects of the industries located in the community.

He said that the Tema Metropolitan Assembly will clear the Ramsar site of all illegal structures.

He made this known during a day’s tour of the site with some departmental heads and key stakeholders including personnel from the forestry division and NADMO.

During the tour of the site, it was clear that a huge land size of the Ramsar site had been taken by encroachers.

While some buildings are at the footing stage, others are at window levels and the roofing stages respectively.

However, one thing that caught the attention of the team was that a huge parcel of land behind the Lashibi Emefs estate had been fenced and demarcated for onward sale to developers.

It is however unclear whether, they have indeed been already sold or not, but most of them had gates fitted to them.

Not even the presence of the high powered delegation touring the site would scare away some land guards patrolling the area.

As soon as the team got to the Lashibi side of the Ramsar site, land guards numbering about 50 surrounded the team and watched their movement from afar.

While some were on motor bikes, others had positioned themselves at some vantage points in the bush looking on at what was happening in the area.

Some masons and labourers working at our time of visit to the site took to their heels leaving behind their working equipment for the fear of being arrested.

At the Sakumono side of the Ramsar, developers have encroached close to the main Sakumono Tema beach road where some have even developed their properties and were using it.

Some vegetable farmers who are farming at the Ramsar site complained of constant harassment from land guards and encroachers.

The Tema Mayor, Felix Mensah-La after the tour said he will sit with the Ramsar Committee members to draw a road map to reclaim the Ramsar.

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By; Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He believes illegal activities, including the land guard menace is rife especially in the Greater Accra Region because most of the youth in the region are unemployed.

“People are taking advantage of these young men because they do not have jobs. That is why I am so happy with the one district, one factory policy.When we are able to give these people gainful employment, I think we will be able to reduce this land guard menace. “

The land guard menace is rife especially in the Greater Accra Region, where those involved are solely interested in safeguarding their paymasters’ interest in disputed lands.

In June 2013, Members of Parliament appealed to the Ghana Police Service to launch an all out war to eradicate the menace of land guards in the country but the problem is yet to be resolved.

About Ishmael Ashietey

Ishmael Ashitey is 62 years old and is a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he graduated in 1977 with a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.

He also holds an Executive Master’s degree in Governance and Leadership from GIMPA. He worked as a Mechanical Engineer at the Accra Brewery Limited for 13 years.

He served as Member of Parliament for Tema East from 1996 to 2008, and between that period, he was, first, appointed as Minister of State for Fisheries from 2001 to 2003 by former President John Agyekum Kufuor. From 2003 to 2004, he was a Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

While in Parliament, he was the Deputy Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee, a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Member on the Committee on Communications and Chairman of the Government Assurances Committee.

He has been the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party from 2010 to date. He is married with four children.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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