One person has been killed, while another is fighting for his life at Anum Apapamu in the Eastern Region.
An eyewitness speaking with GhanaWeb explained that the violence came about after the town decided to install a new chief, following the death of the former one.
According to Nana Gyampo, the eyewitness, without any confrontation, when the new chief was being paraded through town, some unknown persons crossed them with pump-action guns and later followed them to the palace, where they shot one person dead.
“A chief was to be installed and so we came to participate and to support the new chief. After the traditional rites performed at home on Monday, today – Tuesday, the new chief was to be paraded through the town so the people could see him.
“On the way to town, when we got to a junction called Abinkyi Signboard, a white Pajero car with two people in it from nowhere crossed the chief’s vehicle. We asked them where they were from because they nearly knocked somebody down but before we could say anything, the two men alighted holding pump-action guns and threatening us. They were dressed in army mufty uniforms.
“They then asked us to bring down our chief but we refused. They then threatened us but we faced them and told them to move their car before we descended on them. They complied and moved and we went ahead to the market to meet the women and some of the people in the town,” he explained.
Nana Gyampo added that things did not end there because on their return, the realised that two other cars had chased them to the palace and that was when things got messy.
“On our return to the palace, before we could realise, two other pickups started approaching the palace with the men in the cars, numbering about 15, all carrying pump-action guns and started firing warning shots, asking us to produce the new chief. We confronted them and asked where they were from and before we could do anything else, one of our guys asking the questions was just fired at and killed on the spot.
“The men from our side quickly rushed and accosted the person who fired the shot and he was immediately pounced on and brutally beaten. In all of these, there is a man called Kwame Joe Owiredu who had always been saying that he would not allow for us to install a chief so all the problems are on his head and he has even told people that he knows what he has done. But I must be honest with you, the man who was caught beaten is badly hurt, I doubt he can make it into the next morning,” he narrated.
The eyewitness added that the police have since taken over the matter, sending the dead body to the morgue, while the injured man on the other side has also been sent to the hospital.
The police are yet to officially confirm the disturbances.
Anum Apapamu has not had a chief for over a year since its former leader died.
