By Daniel Bampoe
At least 15 residents of Okorase, a community in Adeiso, in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region, have been arrested following violent clashes over a long-running land dispute.
The arrests, confirmed by Assemblyman Seth Isaac Akpakudi, have left families in distress, as the exact whereabouts of the suspects remain unclear.
The clashes, which broke out on Friday afternoon around 3:00p.m., were triggered when a group of armed men stormed Okorase shortly after Muslim prayers.
According to eyewitnesses, the men claimed they had come to apprehend the Zongo Chief for questioning at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
Community leaders say the men could not provide any official identification when confronted.
Tensions flared, and in the ensuing chaos, the Zongo Chief was shot in the shoulder.
Two other residents who attempted to shield him were also struck by bullets. The three injured victims are currently receiving medical care.
News of the shooting spread quickly through the town, plunging the community into panic.
Later in the evening, another convoy of armed men—believed to be affiliated with national security—reportedly returned to Okorase.
Residents allege that during this second raid, about 15 people were rounded up and taken away without any formal explanation.
Assemblyman Isaac Akpakudi, confirmed the arrests but said he had no information about where the suspects had been taken.
He added that the situation has created fear and uncertainty, with families unable to trace their relatives.
The Amankrado of Okorase also addressed the media, condemning the violent turn of events and describing the actions of the armed men as unlawful.
He said the community feels targeted in what appears to be an ongoing campaign of intimidation linked to unresolved land disputes in the area.
Land disputes in the Eastern Region, particularly in Adeiso and its surrounding communities, have been a persistent source of conflict for decades.
The Land guards and, in some cases, alleged state actors have frequently been accused of resorting to violence to enforce claims, often leaving innocent residents caught in the crossfire.
“This is beyond a land case; our people’s lives are at stake,” a distressed resident told reporters. “Many of us cannot sleep at night. We do not know when these men will come back.”
The chiefs and opinion leaders of Adeiso and Okorase have jointly appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and President John Mahama’s government to intervene urgently.
They fear that if the matter is not addressed immediately, the situation could escalate into further bloodshed.
With three residents nursing gunshot wounds and several others unaccounted for after the arrests, the residents say they feel abandoned by the state and left vulnerable to further attacks.
