Police to deal with land litigants who use violence
The Upper East Regional Police Command, has warned that it would deal ruthlessly with all land litigants who resort to violence in addressing their concerns.
The Regional Police Command stated this on the emerging trend of assault cases related to land in the region and advised litigants to use the laid down procedures such as the courts in settling such disputes instead of resorting to violence.
The Police Command’s warning came at the instance when the Chiefs and people of the Pwalugu Community had pleaded with the Police and the Bolgatanga circuit court to withdraw an assault case in connection with a land litigation that occurred at Pwalugu in the Talensi District of the Region.
In that case, a 76 year old man, Mr Bukari Atikemah, of the Abatanga family, was assaulted by some youth in the area when he went with a surveyor to demarcate a land at Pwalugu.
The Police subsequently arrested and arraigned those involved in the assault before a Bolgatanga circuit court, for allegedly causing harm and stealing the victim”s money.
The Chief and people of the Pwalugu community, after settling the medical bills and refunding the victim’s money smoked a peace pipe with him last Sunday at the Chief’s Palace at Pwalugu,
Speaking on behalf of the Regional Police Command , the Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) Commander, Deputy Superintendant of Police, Kwae Teye, who was also the Prosecutor in the case in the Circuit court, warned persons who have disputes on lands to resort to the courts instead of engaging in violence.
“The Police will not countenance anybody who would want to use brutal means in this democratic era in addressing land litigation issues and will deal ruthlessly with such persons”, he warned.
Narrating the facts of the case, the Prosecutor, said in February last year, the victim and his nephew went to the land at Pwalugu with a Surveyor to demarcate it.
He said the victim was in a car and the Surveyor and his nephew were doing the demarcation when the young men disputed what they were doing, pulled the victim from the car and stoned him until he became unconscious.
He said subsequently the Police upon their investigation arrested four of the youth and arraigned them before the circuit court.
Source: GNA