23 soldiers cited after tragic Kasoa shooting incident

At least 23 soldiers have been cited by the police for investigations after violent clashes between residents of Kasoa Millenium City and soldiers left one dead and four others injured.

Millennium City District Commander ASP Christopher Darkey told Joy News he had to use his vehicle to block the path of a vehicle full of soldiers after they resisted arrest.

The soldiers some hours earlier clashes with the agitated residents and fired warning shots. The soldiers claim the angry residents were throwing stones at them on that fateful Thursday morning provoking them to shoot in self-defence.

The residents of Millennium City had gathered to prevent what they claimed was an unauthorised demolition by an estate firm, 21^st Century Construction.

They clashed with the military men who they accused of being used by the estate developer.

In the resulting chaotic scenes, one person was shot in the head and others also sustained gunshot wounds after uniformed men fired warning shots to disperse the protesters.

Police account
It was an “unbelievable” scene, the Millennium City District Police Commander, ASP Darkey, told Joy News after he arrived at the scene.

“I confronted them to know their mission…..I quickly ordered them that they should stop it” he said. More police reinforcements arrived.

He said the soldiers explained that they were from the Southern Command and were returning to their base because they had completed their mission.

"I said they could not go and I quickly used my vehicle to cross their path….and at long last we were able to bring them to the police station for interrogation."

The Police say it is working with the Military to release the soldiers for further investigations.

“We will go for them” ASP Darkey is confident.

Why were the soldiers at Kasoa?
The Ghana Armed Forces has issued a statement on the soldiers’ involvement in the violence at Kasoa.

How the land dispute started
The violence was triggered by a land dispute and the chief of Gomoa Nyanyano has indicated that there could be reprisals.

He told Joy News that chiefs gave out vast lands to 21^st Century estate developers without taking money.

The promise was that the estate developer would construct a Senior High School as compensation for the land.

But the chief says the developer has not held his side of the bargain. There is no secondary school building on the land and the estate developer is encroaching on other lands, the Chief of Gomoa Nyanyano said.

The chiefs went to court in 2004 to stop 21st-century estate developer. It has been 11 years of adjournments, a disappointed chief said.

The chief says they have petitioned the Chief Justice, the President and the Inspector General of Police. “All that is going on is in their know,” he said, expressing disappointment that years of appeals for intervention have been ignored.

“We are now helpless….God have mercy on us” he said.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]