Six suspected land guards linked to Jeleel Company Limited have been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command following a violent confrontation over a disputed 41.80-acre parcel of land at Katamanso in Accra.
The suspects were arrested on Thursday, July 16, after allegedly attacking workers engaged by the lawful purchaser of the property, Mr. Ernest Ayi Lamie, who is said to have acquired the land Oyibi chief.
Police reportedly recovered firearms, ammunition, cutlasses, knives and other offensive weapons from the suspects during the operation. They remain in police custody to assist with ongoing investigations.
According to information available, the land dispute had earlier been resolved by the Gborbu Wolumor.
However, despite the initial arrests, the situation allegedly escalated when Jeleel Company Limited was said to have deployed an additional group of about seven suspected land guards to the site. The new group allegedly attacked workers and attempted to halt construction activities, creating fresh security concerns.
Sources indicated that officers from the Accra Regional Police Command were compelled to reinforce security at the location after the renewed confrontation.
One of the arrested suspects reportedly claimed during interrogation that the firearm found in his possession had been supplied by his employer, whom he identified as Hamid Jeleel, described as a deputy manager of Jeleel Company.
The same suspect later allegedly claimed he worked with the National Security Secretariat and that the weapon had been issued to him through that office. However, police sources said he was unable to produce any official identification or documentation to support that assertion.
Authorities are expected to investigate both claims as part of the ongoing inquiry into the source and legality of the recovered weapons.
Police are also holding four additional offensive weapons allegedly assembled by members of the reinforcement group who reportedly mobilised to confront officers and workers at the disputed site.
The incident comes at a time when Ghana has tightened controls on civilian firearm possession. The Ministry of the Interior has suspended and revoked all active individual firearm licences pending a nationwide re-registration exercise.
Under the new regime, gun owners are required to undergo mental health assessments, drug screening and firearm handling training before licences can be renewed. Private security organisations are also prohibited from using firearms.
Meanwhile, reports circulating indicate there was an alleged attempt by a police patrol team from the Accra Regional Police Command, reportedly led by an officer identified only as Adam, to secure the release of the arrested suspects while they were being transported to the police station.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged intervention remain unclear, and the Ghana Police Service has not officially commented on the claim.
Sources familiar with the matter claim that intelligence gathered during ongoing investigations suggests that a senior official at the Presidency, identified as Comrade Gbande, who is reported to be associated with operations at Jubilee House, may have links to Jeleel Company.
The sources further allege that Hamid Jeleel and Jeleel Company have received support from the official in relation to the disputed Katamanso land.
The sources also allege that such actions have undermined the authority of the Ga-Dangme Overlord, the Gborbu Wulomo, over the disputed land and may have emboldened the activities of alleged land guards linked to Jeleel Company, including concerns over the alleged possession of unlicensed firearms.
The suspects are likely to be charged for unlawful possession of firearms, illegal entry, causing damage to property.
Meanwhile, the Overlord of the Ga-Dangme Kingdom, Gborbu Wulomo Shitse Wor Lumor Konor Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXX III, indicated that their office only intervened after the dispute was formally brought to their attention.
However, Jeleel Company first reported the matter to the Office of the Gborbu Wulomo long before the current purchasers of the land from the people of Katamanso.
The intervention of the Office was also prompted by a letter from the Nungua Mantse directing the people of Katamanso to render accounts of all lands alienated within the Nungua traditional area.
The Nungua Mantse noted that it acted within his legitimate authority, recognising that the area falls under the Nungua Stool. As joint custodians of the land, it became necessary for our Office to verify the authenticity and validity of the documents presented by the various parties.
“Throughout this process, Jeleel Company cooperated with and supported the Office of the Gborbu Wulomo in efforts to establish the facts and recover the relevant records relating to the land.”
According to Gborbu Wulormor, he did not sell any land to Ernest Ayi Lamie, but rather the land was acquired from the Oyibi Chief and when there was confrontation on the land, the matter was brought to him for settlement.
He said it was the Regional Minister and the National Security orders that he intervene in an ADR settlement since the land falls within his jurisdiction.
The Gborbu Wulomo has clarified that he did not sell the disputed 41.80-acre parcel of land at Katamanso to either of the two contesting parties.
According to him, his involvement in the matter began only after a series of confrontations over the land between Jeleel Company and the other claimant. The escalating dispute prompted the intervention of the National Security Secretariat and the Accra Regional Police Command, which referred the matter to his office for resolution.
The Gborbu Wulomo explained that, following the referral, he constituted an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee to examine the competing claims, hear all the parties involved, and facilitate an amicable resolution of the dispute.
He stated that after completing its work, the ADR Committee submitted its findings and recommendations, and the report was duly forwarded to both the National Security Secretariat and the Accra Regional Police Command for their consideration and further action.
The Office’s role has been to ensure that the matter is handled fairly, transparently and in accordance with customary law and due process, it indicated.
The ADR process was convened at the request of the National Security Secretariat and the Accra Regional Police Command to clarify the ownership and resolve the longstanding dispute.
He therefore urged the security agencies to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of all those found culpable in accordance with the laws of Ghana.
Investigations into the violent land dispute, the recovered weapons and all related allegations are ongoing.
