IGP’s Name Allegedly Misused in Adjiringanor Land Dispute

A recent raid by heavily armed police officers in the Adjiringanor area of Accra over a land dispute has raised serious concerns. The raid, which left three people wounded, is allegedly linked to a power struggle between businessmen and the Nungua Stool, with some police officials accused of using the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to influence the outcome of the dispute.

The raid, reportedly ordered by the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Arhin, involved a police team from the Greater Accra Police Command. According to sources, the officers arrived at a construction site on the disputed three-acre land and interrupted work being carried out on a four-storey stall complex and apartment blocks. During the raid, three workers, including a mason and two laborers, were injured and had to be referred to the Adjirigarnor Community Health Centre for treatment.

Interview with Workers:

Two of the injured workers, who spoke to the media from their hospital beds, described the terrifying ordeal. "We were working on the construction site when the heavily armed police officers arrived and ordered us to stop. As we were putting down our tools, some of the officers started beating us with their batons. I tried to run, but I was struck in the back and fell," one of the victims, a mason, recounted.

Another worker, a laborer, explained that in the chaos, many workers tried to escape by jumping over the construction site's walls. "The moment they came at us with batons, people started running. I jumped over the wall, but I twisted my ankle while landing. I couldn't move after that," he said. Both victims sustained severe body injuries and were transported to the hospital for medical attention.

Despite the trauma they experienced, the workers are now calling for justice and for an end to the violence. "We were just doing our jobs. We didn’t deserve this. We are pleading with President Mahama and the IGP to ensure that peace is restored in our community and that this kind of violence does not happen again," they said in unison.

As of now, the land in question has been the subject of ongoing litigation, with several parties, including businessman Theophilus Teiko Tagoe, the Nungua Stool, Benjamin Amartey Mensah, Dr. Prempeh (a now-deceased pharmacist), and Silver City Ltd, involved in the dispute. While some parties have accused the IGP of backing one faction in the dispute, investigations reveal that Dr. Dampare has distanced himself from the ongoing power play.

Interpleader and Legal Background:

In the midst of this tension, the Nungua Traditional Council, alongside Silver City Ltd and Madam Prempeh, filed an interpleader in court. An interpleader is a legal process that is used when a party who is in possession of a property or funds (in this case, the disputed land) is unsure about who is the rightful claimant. This legal process requires the court to decide the rightful owner, halting any further actions like demolitions or other contentious activities until a resolution is reached.

Despite the interpleader being filed, which legally stops any demolition or land-guard activities, there are ongoing concerns that the businessman, Theophilus Teiko Tagoe, might be trying to bypass the court's directive. According to the Nungua Traditional Council, Tagoe, allegedly with the support of certain police officers, is claiming to need police protection, but the Council argues that no such harassment has occurred.

Mr. Arhin, in a phone interview with the media, claimed that the police raid was conducted in response to a distress call from the Police Headquarters’ Legal Department, which allegedly concerned a woman seeking police protection from land guards. However, investigations have revealed no such petition, and it appears the case is solely related to the ongoing litigation.

Meanwhile, the widow of the late Dr. Prempeh, whose residence was demolished as a result of the dispute, has denied making any such distress calls or petitions. She alleges that the actions against her and Silver City Ltd are being orchestrated despite an existing court order, which is intended to halt all demolition and land-guard activities in the area.

Urgent Appeal for Peace:

In a related development, the Nungua Traditional Council, Silver City Ltd, and Madam Prempeh have urged President John Dramani Mahama, the IGP, and the judicial authorities to intervene in the land dispute. They have raised concerns over what they describe as ongoing harassment and land-guard activities, which are allegedly being backed by some police officers at the regional level. The Council emphasized that, under the court’s intervention, peace had been restored to the community, but they feared that further attempts to bypass the court’s ruling might destabilize the area once again.

The Nungua Traditional Council has warned that the court’s interpleader action, filed under Order 44 Rule 12 of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules (C.I. 47), legally halts any execution process, including demolition. Any attempt to undermine this legal process is unlawful and a threat to the safety and well-being of residents.