Curfew on Gyadam, Nkwanta

Akyem Oda, March 20, GNA - The Birim South District Security Committee (DISEC) on Tuesday imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on Oda Nkwanta and Akyem Gyadam following disturbances after a football match between the two communities.

Mr Frank Kwame Busumtwi, Birim South District Chief Executive told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the curfew would start at 1900 hours to 0500 hours each day until the insecurity situation in the area returned to normal.

Fighting broke out among people from the two towns last Sunday after an abrupt end of a football match played at Oda Nkwanta between a team from Akyem Gyadam and their counterparts from Oda Nkwanta.

The team from Oda Nkwanta scored a goal and players from Akyem Gyadam who perceived the referee to be biased pounced on him and this later degenerated into an open for all fight among supporters from both towns.

Mr Busumtwi said due to the impasse, people from Akyem Gyadam could not pass through Oda Nkwanta to Akyem Oda and a sick person from Akyem Gyadam had to be ferried on River Birim to the Akyem Oda Government Hospital for treatment.

People from Oda Nkwanta who have their farms near Akyem Gyadam could not go to their farms.

Mr Busumtwi said the youth from both towns had mobilised themselves to attack each other and a house at Oda Nkwanta was attacked and vandalised.

He said a reinforcement of police personnel had been mobilised from Koforidua, Asamankese and Kade to support their colleagues at Akyem Oda to protect life and property in the area.

Since last Sunday, people from both towns had been engaged in brawls and attempts by the Akyem Oda Police to contain the situation had not been successful.

According to sources, a young man from Akyem Gyadam whose name was not readily made available and seriously injured in the disturbances was on admission at the Akyem Oda Government hospital while a resident of Oda Nkwanta identified as Jojo had his car vandalised and personal effects damaged.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sampson Agbeko, Akyem Oda Divisional Crime Officer told the GNA that on Monday two people from Oda Nkwanta who were diamond winners went to Akyem Gyadam to win diamond and were allegedly beaten up by the people.

He said some people from Akyem Gyadam later in the day mobilised themselves to engage the people of Oda Nkwanta in another fight but were stopped by the police.

ASP Agbeko said on Tuesday, people from Oda Nkwanta mobilised themselves to attack the people of Akyem Gyadam but their Chief Nana Dwamena Akenteng II, together with the police prevailed on them not to retaliate.

He said after fruitful discussion with the people of Oda Nkwanta, the police visited Akyem Gyadam, where they found some people had mounted a roadblock to the town.

ASP Agbeko said people from Akyem Gyadam who had to pass through Oda Nkwanta to any part of the district could not travel and people from Oda Nkwanta who had their farms near Akyem Gyadam could not go to their farms.

No arrests have so far been made.