Awutu Adawukwaa Chief shot over land dispute

Agona Swedru, Dec 31, GNA - A group of un-identified gunmen have shot and wounded Neenyin Quarshie Amanquandoh Adowul III, Chief of Awutu Adawukwaa, in his room over a land dispute, the Agona Swedru Police has said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) B B Bakomora, Swedru District Police Commander, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency at Swedru on Friday, said Neenyi Adowul who was in critical condition was on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The District Commander said one Samuel Kojo Bonney had been arrested and placed in police custody in connection with the incident. Bonney, a member of the Chief's family was reported to have issued a threat to the victim before the shooting on December 23, 2005 and would be arraigned before the Swedru Circuit Court on the 9th of January 2006, he said. Mr Bakomora stated that two other suspects Mensah Eyigbe and Mrs Adjoa Addae were also arrested in connection with the case but had been granted bail while investigations were going on.

The Police Commander said that about two months ago, the Chief contracted surveyors from the Lands Commission at Cape Coast to re-demarcate lands under his jurisdiction and after the exercise he caused radio announcements to be made that all those who had bought land in the area should produce their documents for inspection. He said the exercise did not go well with Bonney and some people who protested against the exercise leading to tension, adding that, a day before the incident, Bonney threatened the Chief.

In a related matter, Mr Noah Quaye, spokesman of Neenyi Adowul, has protested against the bail granted the two other suspects and appealed to the Police to intensify their investigations to unravel the mystery behind the shooting. He said that the Chief reported threat by some developers in the area that they would be eliminate him to the Awutu Bawjiase Police but nothing was done. When GNA contacted Chief Inspector Kwao of the Awutu Bawjiase, he denied that a report of threat was made to him but rather that of insulting behaviour was reported to the Police.