Landguards Strike at Mallam Junction: Warning Shots Fired, Chief attacked, Car, Stores vandalized.
Residents at Mallam Junction in the Gbawe-Weija Constituency of the Greater Accra region witnessed an ugly scene on Monday, September 14 2020, when the chief of the area, Sen Tse Nii Boye I, was attacked by land guards believed to be led by one Pampankus, a professed notorious landguard, who also styles himself as chief of the same area.
What marveled the spectators of this ugly scene most was that the incident took place just a few meters away from the police post at Mallam Junction. But for the swift intervention of the police, led by Sulemana Baba, Nii Boye would have been lynched by the marauding mob.
In the ensuing mealy, gunshots were fired, and Nii Boye was pounced upon by the mob and beaten to pulp. The windscreen of his pick-up car with registration no. GS 914-10 was smashed and his chop and drinking bars “were attacked, glasses and chairs broken, sending workers there fleeing for their dear lives. In the process, undisclosed amounts of money got missing, with food prepared for the day getting contaminated with broken glasses. Cecilia Boye, one of the workers at the chop bar also got wondered in the left thigh by a piece of broken glass.
Victims Story
Narrating his ordeal to ghananewsonline.com.gh. Nii Boye, aka George Kwartey Boye Quertey and popularly referred to as Adam Nana, stated that he has a transport union- PROTOA at Mallam Junction, Which he has operated for some time now alongside his chop and drinking Bars. He indicated that he had lived at Mallam Junction for over 20 years until last year, when the head of the Gbawe Kwartei family, Nii Adam Kwartei family, in charge of lands there enstooled him chief, (Sen Tse) for Gbawe Sakumono. (Mallam Junction and its environs) under the stool name, Nii Boye I.
Meanwhile, this Pampanku Guy has also proclaimed himself Chief for the area, with the stool name Nii Ayi Okufubour I. Nii Boye stated that when he woke up on the morning of Monday. September 14, 2020, he noticed pieces of white calico dressed around electricity poles in his area, as well as gates to his house and inside his lorry station.
Report To The Police
According to Nii Boye, He had gathered that the Self-styled Chief Nii Okufubour, a,k,a Pampanku wanted to install a new Chief (Asafoatse) there hence the display of Pieces of white calico in the area. He stated that not feeling easy about the station, he reported the matter to the Mallam Lafa Police Station, where he was given an extract for onward presentation to the Odorkor Divisional Headquarters.
Nii Boye stated that a few meters to the Mallam Junction Police Post on his way to Odorkor around 10:00 am a marauding crowd blocked the way, compelling him to pull to a halt since he could not run through them. He recounted with pain, that, just as he pulled to a halt, the marauding crowd, numbering over 40, rushed on him, smashed his car windscreen with a piece of block.
The embattled Chief indicated that sensing danger, he pulled his gun, which he carries in his car every time and gave warning shots to disperse the crowd, since he could not fire through them. He indicated that just before he could say “Jack” the marauding crowd had pounced on him, disarmed him, dragged him out of his car, and beat him to a pulp, while dragging him on the ground. He maintained that in the process he lost everything on him (Phones, money sandals, and many more).
Police Intervention
According to Nii Boye, the Police on duty at the post at the time led by Baba intervened by firing warning shots to disperse the surging marauding crowd, who were bent on bringing their commotion to the police post. The embattled Chief said after his rescue by the police, he was placed in a taxi, cap, and rushed to the Odorkor Police in tatted Clothes.
Comedy at the Police Station
Nii Boye narrated with sadness that on reaching the Odorkor Police station, Pampamku, who seemingly has a stake as some say at the Police station had reported that Adam Nana and some people from Gbawe, had beaten one of his men and destroyed his palace, (virtually placed under the Lapaz – Mallam N1 overpass) the previous day.
Subsequently, on reaching the Police station, he was detained without the Police taking his statement or being sent to the hospital. As fate would have it, Nii Okofio III, Gbawe Otozoa Mantse was also detained alongside NII Boye. Our information is that based upon Pampanku’s report, (Pampanku is said to be a member of the National Security) Nii Okofio had been tasked to bring to the station one guy, believed to have taken part in the alleged attacked on Pampanku. However, on reaching the station, he was detained alongside NII Boye.
The two detainees here held up there till late Tuesday when they were released and charged to appear before the court on Thursday, September 17, 2020. It was after their release before that the embattled Chief Nii Boye had to claim a medical form and lodge a formal complaint on his attack and the vandalization of his car and stores, which the Police went to inspect.
More Comedy
While at the Ordorkor Police Station that fateful Monday, September 14, Pampanku’s Boys were palpably seen charged and threatening Nii Boye as some even surged on him. Also, some threatened officers from the Mallam Junction Police Post who were invited there for their evidence that if they did not take care they would be stripped off their police uniforms. It was with difficulty that the command had to stamp his authority.
Nii Boye’s Daughters Grand Daughter Detained.
As the comedy at the station unfolded, two daughters of the detained Chief Nii Boye were also detained. Kwartey and Kwakor, together with their two-and-half-year-old daughter, Daniela were placed at counter back for over three hours on the orders of the Commander, for allegedly making noise at the station.
Meanwhile, nothing was done to the charged and marauding Pampanku Boys, who apparently did not only make the place ungovernable but also chaotic.
By S.O Ankamah
