Two men have been remanded in police custody for their alleged involvement in a violent clash at Papaase, a community near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region. The clash, which occurred on April 20, 2024, left several people injured and property damaged.
The suspects, Nelson Ahiamedzi and Prince Asa, also known as Asafo, were arrested on a bench warrant and charged with conspiracy to commit assault, cause harm, and use of offensive weapons. They appeared before the Amasaman Circuit Court on February 29, 2024.
Ahiamedzi pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Prince Asa’s plea was not taken because he could only speak Nzema and there was no interpreter available. The court, presided over by Ms Enid Marful-Sau, ordered that an interpreter be provided for him on the next adjourned date, March 12, 2024.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of 15 other suspects who are on the run. They are accused of discharging guns or firearms in public, and possession of firearms and ammunition without authority.
The root of the conflict
According to the prosecution, the clash was sparked by a land dispute between two rival chiefs of Papase and Chinto, two neighboring communities in the Ga West Municipality. The two chiefs, Nii Papa-Asa III and Nana Fianko Ababio II, are related but have been at loggerheads over the ownership of some parcels of land, including a mosque land at Chinto.
The prosecution said that on April 18, 2024, Nana Fianko Ababio III led some people to confront some members of the Zongo community over the mosque land, which Nii Papa-Asa III claims belongs to him. The Zongo community reported the incident to the Kotoku police and the case was under investigation.
However, on April 20, 2024, at about 9:30 am, the situation escalated when Nii Papa-Asa III and his supporters, including the two suspects, attacked one Eric Dodzi, a supporter of the Chinto chief, at a tailoring shop opposite the Papase palace. They allegedly used a hammer and other weapons to beat him mercilessly.
The prosecution said that some other supporters of the Chinto chief, who were at a nearby Okada station, heard about the attack and rushed to rescue Dodzi. This angered the accused, who went to the palace and brought out pump action guns and fired at them, injuring several of them.
The aftermath of the clash
The prosecution said that Nii Papa-Asa III then mobilized a group of armed men, including the two suspects and 15 others who are still at large, and surrounded the palace. They allegedly fired gunshots at anyone who came near the palace, including one Christopher Neequaye, who was also a supporter of the Chinto chief.
Neequaye, who had alighted from a motorcycle in front of the palace, was shot and fell to the ground. His sister, Thelma Neequaye, who was at the scene, tried to help him but was also hit by pellets in the buttocks. She managed to escape and ran to Chinto to alert the chief and elders about the shooting and abduction of her brother.
The prosecution said that the accused then drove Neequaye out of the palace and dumped him at Abanman near Adjen Kotoku, where he was rescued by a good Samaritan and taken to the Amasaman Government Hospital. He was later transferred to the Nsawam Government Hospital, then to the Koforidua Central Hospital, and finally to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where he is still in a critical condition.
The prosecution said that the police, led by Chief Superintendent Michael Ofosu Anim, the Adjen Kotoku District Police Commander, deployed six patrol teams to the Papase palace area to restore order. They also retrieved nine spent cartridges from the palace for investigation.
The prosecution said that the two suspects were arrested after their statements were taken and they were arraigned before the court.
The quest for justice and peace
The clash at Papaase has raised concerns about the security and stability of the area, as well as the need for a lasting solution to the land dispute between the two chiefs. The police have assured the public that they are doing everything possible to arrest the remaining suspects and bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, some residents and opinion leaders have called for dialogue and reconciliation between the two chiefs and their supporters, to prevent further violence and bloodshed. They have also appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene and resolve the land dispute amicably and peacefully.
Source: Modern Ghana
