Villagers Say Wildlife Guards Shot Them

TEN people were injured when they were allegedly shot at by Department of Game and Wildlife guards at Didwa Island, near Herdzro, in the Afram Plains of the Eastern Region, on Wednesday evening.

The armed guards reportedly went to the village and allegedly without provocation attacked the inhabitants.

The injured were transported by boats to the Margaret Marquart hospital at Kpando where they have since been on admission.

They include Jacob Gadoglo, 50, Dafanu Agbadorvor, 35, Gamali Novidzro a JSS student, Fusseini Wayo, 16, and Godwin Amemajalor, 16.

Others are Noah Ajenuku 18 also a JSS student, John Asiedu, 30, Daniel Dlugana, 36, Edem Eda, 20, Adam, 26 and Gerson Norvidzro, 17.

Speaking to Times, the assembly member of Didwa electoral area, Emmanuel Ahiabor, said four armed Game and Wildlife guards went to the village and started harassing the inhabitants.

According to him, the guards engaged the people in a fight and started firing indiscriminately resulting in injuries to the ten.

Mr Ahiabor said that owing to previous incidents caused by Game and Wildlife officials in a boat disaster in the same area which resulted in the loss of lives, the inhabitants remained calm in spite of the attack by the guards.

He said the villagers were able to identify four of the armed guards whose names they gave as Gadafi, Emmanuel, Konadu alias 'Mampam' and Yaw.

The Afram Plains District Police Commander, ASP Samuel Yeboah, could not confirm or deny the incident when contacted by phone yesterday afternoon, but said, 'we have only had wind of it and are investigating it'.

He noted that although no official report has been made to the police, they were preparing to travel to the scene to investigate.

He was also trying to contact the leadership of the Wildlife Division in the region to find out their side of the matter and visit the victims in hospital today to get more information on the alleged attack.

At the time of going to press yesterday doctors were preparing to transfer the injured to the Ho Regional Hospital.

The Donkorkrom office of the Department of Game and Wildlife could not be reached for their reaction on the alleged shooting. Telephone calls to the office were not answered.