There are reports of violent clashes between traders and landguards at Taifa Junction over an eviction exercise at the Muus Timber Market (Ofankor Timber Market).
According to multiple reports, the altercation between the two groups came about when the original owner of the land, on which the traders use as their market; whose name has been given as Naa Sackey, tried to forcibly evict them, using land guards.
Speaking in a phone interview on UTV, one of the traders, told the presenter that there was once a litigation on the land but after the landowner won the case, she was in good terms with them until a few months ago.
He said that she all of a sudden, started making immediate moves to evict them out of the place when they had no issue with her.
The trader added that without any notice on the morning of Wednesday, September 20, 2023, the landlady ordered some armed land guards to come to the land to move them out, leading to a violent clash that has led to the death of one person.
“The land on which we work used to be under litigation but the woman who owns it won it and together, we all had a good working relationship but a few months ago, after she took her rent from us, she has been making moves to evict us.
“There was a lot of confusion even though there are a lot of people with receipts that show that they have a business with the woman and so if she needs to evict them, it should not be immediate. So, she brought some land guards who shot guns and killed someone, leading to anger among the people.
“As I speak with you now, thanks to the IGP, he has dispatched some senior policemen here who have been able to restore order here,” he explained.
He added that the people who currently occupy the land are about 3000, adding that they were surprised the landlady would send these land guards to forcibly evict them.
As of the time of completing this report, there had been any official statement from the police, although several reports indicate that at least, one person has been confirmed dead and three others sustaining injuries.