Women fleeing Dixcove for fear of reprisal attacks

The Upper section of Dixcove, a fishing community in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region is gradually turning into a ghost town.

People are fleeing from violence in the community, following the abduction of the paramount chief for Lower Dixcove by a group of gangsters.

Information available to The Chronicle indicates that some well-built men (machomen) are attacking homes in pursuit of the alleged abductors of the chief, an incident which occurred on Monday, this week. The machomen are not only attacking men but defenseless women as well.

It would be recalled that the palace of Lower Dixcove paramount chief, Nana Kwesi Agyemang IV was raided, leading to the assault and capture of the Omanhene and his subsequent detention at the palace of his rival chief, Obrempong Hima Dekyi III, Omanhene of Upper Dixcove.

It had to take the Police to rescue the detained Lower Dixcove Omanhene and some of his sub-chiefs.

Following the detention of Kwesi Agyemang and his sub-chiefs at the Upper Dixcove Palace, the Police Command declared the Upper Dixcove Omanhene wanted, in connection with the crime.

Though armed police personnel have been deployed in the town, things are getting out of hand, considering the number of persons fleeing the town to seek refuge at the nearby Busua.

The Assembly Member for Lower Dixcove, Samuel Bentum confirmed to a local radio station that indeed people were fleeing the town of Upper Dixcove, particularly women. However, he explained that the decision is more of precautionary measure than being physically attacked.

“My own Mother had fled not because she has been chased away but because she fears living there,” he said.

He nevertheless admitted that some of the residents have come under attack. He recounted how a young man was subjected to severe beatings on suspicion that he was one of the masked men who attacked the palace of the Lower Dixcove Omanhene.

For Hima Dekyi, he was worried over the incessant attacks on his subjects and called on the Police to stamp their authority. He told this reporter the Police could not look on whilst people raid homes of his subjects in the name of effecting citizen arrest.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Ahanta West, Henrietta Eyison, on her part said the Assembly had requested for Police presence at the community.

The law enforcers have since granted bail to five persons arrested in connection with the attack on the paramount chief. They are Justice Cromwell, Thomas Quayson, 30, Paul Stephens, 37 and Christopher Boney, 62.

Hima Dekyi, whom the Police declared wanted in connection with the capture and detention of Lower Dixcove Omanhene surrendered to the Police and has since been granted bail.

Meanwhile, the Western Regional House of Chiefs (WRHC) has condemned what it described as the chieftaincy violence between the two rival chiefs.

The Vice President of the WRHC, Awulae Amihere Kpanyile, said the level of the violence was unfortunate.

Awulae Amihere Kpanyile who is also the president of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council said chieftaincy was for peace and development and wellbeing of the people.