Natives of Manya Yoyim near Adjena in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region have called on former President John Dramani Mahama, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, and national security to intervene in an escalating conflict with the people of Adjena over land ownership.
According to them, the people of Adjena are laying claim to all lands in the Manya Yoyim area, leading to a violent clash in which one of their people was wounded with a machete.
At a press briefing, the Dadematse (Community Chief), Nene Gabriel Nartey, recounted how an opinion leader from Manya Yoyim felled a tree on his farm and sawed it into planks. While he was away in Akosombo to arrange transportation for the wood, armed men from Adjena reportedly arrived, fired warning shots, and started loading the planks into their vehicle.
“When my people tried to stop them from moving away with the planks, they wounded one of them with a machete. We rushed him to the hospital in Akosombo, and I told the rest to hold back because we are not ready to engage in a fight. We wanted to wait for the owner to return so we could reclaim the seized wood,” Nene Nartey stated.
He alleged that the assailants later stormed their farmlands, destroying crops and plantations while firing warning shots at homes.
“Our spouses were caned by a gang of thugs two days ago when they went to the market. Now, our lives are in danger, and our children are afraid to go to school,” he lamented.
The chief said they reported the attacks to the Akosombo Divisional Police, who invited both parties for a resolution meeting, but the people of Adjena failed to show up.
They are now appealing to the government and security agencies to intervene before they are forced to defend themselves.
Tettey Love Blessing, one of the women allegedly assaulted, narrated how she and other women were attacked while heading to the market.
“They asked us where we were from, and when we said Manya Yoyim, they claimed there was no such place and that we belonged to Adjena. They broke a stick and started beating us. We told them we wouldn’t fight back because we are one people, but they kept attacking us. They even said if they killed us, our husbands and parents wouldn’t do anything about it,” she recounted.
She added that a man from Adjena intervened to save them, but the attackers continued issuing threats.
“They said they could do anything to me, including sleeping with me, and there was nothing I could do about it. When I refused, they slapped me multiple times. They took the goods we were going to sell, and we are too afraid to go back for them. If the government doesn’t provide security, they will kill us all because they are armed,” she added.
The Assemblymember for the Yeniamah Electoral Area, Moses Fio, said the dispute has persisted for the past four years, despite the fact that Manya Yoyim has been their settlement for generations.
“We will defend ourselves if the IGP does not warn the Adjena people to stop invading our land. They have attacked our people, injured one of us, and seized our motorcycle and cutlass. The police arrived too late because Akosombo is far from here,” he stated.
He warned that while they do not intend to invade Adjena, they will be forced to retaliate if attacks on their community continue.
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