The Police have restored calm, law, order, and security at Ofankor following a riot which resulted in the burning of tyres and blocking of public roads. This was contained in a press release by the Ghana police.
It added that the investigation so far indicates that the riot was in relation to a land litigation issue.
The Ofankor disturbance was a result of a land litigation issue in the community. According to the police, it has deployed its officers to beef up security in the area.
All blocked roads in resulting from the Ofankor land litigation clashes have also been opened to vehicular and human traffic per the statement.
On September 18, 2023, a riot broke out in Ofankor, a suburb of Accra, Ghana, over a land dispute. The riot was sparked by a decision by a local court to award ownership of a disputed piece of land to a private developer. The developer then began to demolish houses on the land, which were occupied by residents who claimed to have owned the land for generations.
The residents resisted the demolition, and a confrontation broke out between them and the developer’s workers. The confrontation escalated into a riot, with residents throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the workers. The workers responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas at the residents.
The riot lasted for several hours, and caused significant damage to property. Several people were injured, including two police officers. The police eventually managed to quell the riot, and the developer suspended demolition work.
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Below is the full press release by the police indicating calm has been restored after Ofankor land litigation riot – Ghana Police
Full Press Release: POLICE RESTORE CALM AT OFANKOR
The Police have restored law, order and security at Ofankor following a riot which resulted in the burning of tyres and blocking of public road.The investigation so far indicates that the riot was in relation to a land litigation issue.Police have since strengthened security in the area and the road has been opened to normal traffic flow.
The investigation continues to get the perpetrators arrested to face justice.