A military officer has been shot dead while two others narrowly escaped with their lives on Tuesday, April 30, during a dispute over land at Millennium City, a community at Kasoa in the Central Region.
The incident occurred when the deceased and his companions confronted individuals working on land they claim is theirs.
The disagreement escalated when attempts to settle the matter at the Millennium City District Police Command proved futile.
According to Winnebo Ndego, who facilitated the land transaction, the military officers had purchased the land but faced opposition from a group led by an individual named Fiifi whenever they attempted to develop it.
Despite previous reports to the police, the situation remained unresolved.
Upon encountering the occupants on the disputed land, the military officers urged them to cease their activities and accompany them to the police station for mediation.
However, the disagreement persisted, prompting the officers to return to the police station to follow up on their initial complaint.
They were subsequently informed by an officer on duty that their case had been forwarded to the Central East Regional Police Command.
As they proceeded to go to the regional command, they were allegedly ordered by one Benlord Ababio, also known as Nana Ben and who is said to be a sub-chief, to stop following up on the case and when they refused, he allegedly opened fire on their vehicle, a private Toyota RAV4 car with registration number GR 3591-24, killing one of the soldiers instantly.
One Kofi Asmah, said to be the owner of the construction company involved in the land transaction, voiced concerns about the alleged collusion between some police officers and land guards, suggesting a broader issue of corruption within local law enforcement.
Credit: Kofi Adjei