Top Police Officers behind activities of land guards - Security Analyst

A security analyst with the African Centre for Security Studies, Paul Boateng, has said that land guards do not have the power to take possession of people’s lands unless they have the backing of people in authority.

Speaking on Angel FM’s Anopa Bofo Morning Show, Mr Boateng revealed to Captain Smart that some government officials and top police officers are in support of land guards and their activities.

“Our research on the activities of land guards shows that it is complicated, Captain. Findings have shown that some government officials and top police officers throw their weight behind these land guards. It is something that is going on in Ghana”, he said in Twi.

He went ahead to condemn the act saying that it is unconstitutional.

The Security analyst further alleged that there are persons in power who back the activities of land guards with logistics.

“The officials even buy land and leave it in the care of these land guards though per the law, it shouldn’t be so. When you give them the go-ahead to do this, they [land guards] also get the courage to go beyond their jurisdiction to go about seizing people’s lands because they know some government officials or police personnel are behind them,” he alleged.

Reacting to claims that some land guards have seized lands belonging to some police personnel, he said, he suspects some top-ranking police officers may be the reason their junior officers are being denied the land.

“It could be that some of the top-ranking police want that land”, he hinted.

The security analyst explained that the implications could be dire if nothing is done about the situation adding that this can demoralize police officers.