Construction workers attacked and robbed as land guards go on rampage

Tension is mounting at Akplabanya in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region, following the visitation of terror on construction workers by a group of hooded men suspected to be land guards.

The attackers severely assaulted the workers, robbed them of their money and mobile phones, damaged a vehicle and a polytank at the site.

Information available to The Chronicle from the coastal community of Akplabanya suggests that the incident might be linked to a lingering nearby land litigation.

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According to a source at the Kitcher Larbia family of Akplabanya who pleaded anonymity, some years ago, the maritime authorities dumped a number of laid up vessels occupying space at the Tema Port on the beaches of Akplabanya.

Then ferrous metal scrap dealers descended on the distressed vessels, which they cut and sold to the steel companies, both local and abroad.

The investors in that trade saw Akplabanya shoreline as conducive enough to land any wreckage for ferrous metal scraps and as such constructed a huge warehouse for that purpose.

The worried source went on that, with the passage of time, the ravaging sea erosion destroyed the structure.

The Kitcher Larbia family, he said, released a parcel of land adjoining a disputed area (which case is in court with an injunction restraining all sides), to the investor to advance his business, which work was commenced.

Sometime last month, the leadership of the workers reportedly received a phone call from a known individual with interest in the land, but hiding behind others, to the effect that if they do not stop the construction of the warehouse, land guards would come and terrorise them.

Not long after that threat, hooded and suspected land guards armed with offensive weapons stormed the site, assaulted the workers mercilessly and robbed them.

The source continued that already, there was growing chieftaincy litigation at Akplabanya, which had rendered the place volatile because of interests from faceless individuals.

The Kitcher Larbia family source further told The Chronicle that they did not want to take the law into their own hands, as they could have also gone the extra mile to face the aggressors.

When the Police at Sege district and Ada division were contacted, sources at these commands confirmed the incident and that investigation was ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.

A source at the divisional headquarters intimated to the paper that, its searchlight had been thrown on a certain personality suspected to be operating with land guards in the Ada general area.

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