One person has died from gunshot wounds, while two others sustained serious injuries after a demolition exercise on disputed land at Akwatia Line, a suburb of Kumasi, turned violent on Wednesday morning.
Eyewitnesses say the incident occurred when a private developer, claiming ownership of the land largely occupied by traders, arrived on-site with police officers to carry out demolition of the structures.
Traders resisted, arguing they had not been given prior notice or served with an eviction order. The parcel of land has been the subject of ongoing court litigation.
The developer, identified only as “Bossu,” has laid claim to the land for several months, but the courts are yet to rule on ownership. Traders confronted the police task force during the exercise, leading to a violent clash.
An unidentified man died on the spot from suspected gunshot wounds, while two others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Ibrahim Alhassan, one of the traders’ leaders, confirmed that at least four rounds of gunfire were fired at the scene.
Traders accused both the police and the private developer of being responsible for the shootings.
The demolition left many traders homeless, with goods worth thousands of cedis destroyed. The Manhyia District Police Command has since arrested three individuals in connection with the incident.
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