Residents of Mangoline, a community in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, are living in fear due to the activities of landguards who pose as Asafo groups and extort “digging fees” from residents.
Recently, an entire family, including a three-year-old child, was attacked with a knife after refusing to comply with the landguards’ demands.
The community remains on edge, uncertain when these violent landguards will strike next. Kwame Adom, a resident, told the media that the landguards’ actions are endangering the lives of the community members.
“The landguards now go to the extent of even taking tiling fees or roofing fees and this is ridiculous,” the angry resident said.
The traumatized family has since left the area, abandoning their project.
The Denkyira Police, tasked with protecting the community, are under-resourced and struggle to combat crime effectively.
“The family eventually stopped the project. As a community, we have tried several times to convince them to come back but they have lost interest since they are traumatised. This place has virtually turned into a jungle and the police must act.
“They have gone to the extent that they demand roofing fees and tiling fees which is ridiculous. One of them told me that it was no more digging fee but a development fee and I asked them what they were developing since I am the one developing my property. The police are doing their best, but the logistics to fight crime are not there.
“The logistics for the police to fight crime in this area is not there. They don’t have a running car to fight crime. Residents are sometimes forced to hire taxis to bring the police to the area to fight crime,” Kwame Adom noted.
Meanwhile, according to report two of the landguards have been arrested while the rest are on the run.
