The role of the Tema Regional Police Command and the Afienya District Police Command in an escalating land dispute at Afienya-Mataheko. a surburb of Ningo-Prampram District, is coming under intense scrutiny, with residents accusing the two commands of allegedly providing what they describe as round-the-clock police protection for demolition operations being carried out by persons claiming to be acting on behalf of the Ayiku-Gberbie Family of Prampram.
The residents allege that police personnel have repeatedly accompanied individuals identified as land guards and persons claiming to be national security operatives during operations targeting buildings and properties in Rice City, Jerusalem, Newland and other parts of Afienya-Mataheko.
The allegations are particularly worrying because the Ghana Police Service itself states that its mandate is to maintain law and order, prevent and detect crime, protect persons and property, and maintain public safety.
The question residents are therefore asking is: if the ownership and possession of particular parcels remain matters of dispute, under what legal authority are armed police personnel being deployed to accompany private individuals during demolitions?
According to affected residents, the situation has taken on the appearance of a permanent security operation, with police personnel allegedly providing security whenever the demolition team arrives at a property.
They claim the exercise is being spearheaded by Nana Oppong, who is said to describe himself as a consultant for the Ayiku-Gberbie Family.
Residents further alleged that Nana Oppong and his assigns have been relying on the 2024 Supreme Court judgment involving the Ayiku-Gberbie Family and Edusei-Poku as the basis for claiming extensive portions of land in Afienya-Mataheko.
But residents insist that a judgment recognising a party’s interest in land cannot, by itself, be interpreted as a licence for private persons to demolish properties or forcibly eject occupants without following the appropriate legal enforcement process.
The Ghana Police Service’s own published responsibilities for regional commanders include supervision of the prevention and detection of crime and enforcement of the law throughout their regions.
The Supreme Court, on 18 December 2024, dismissed the appeal in Numo Alfred Quaye v Edusei Poku and affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal in favour of the plaintiff.
The judgment concerns land at Afienya/Mataheko and contains a declaration relating to the Ayiku-Gberbie Family’s title to the land described in the proceedings.
However, affected residents argue that the judgment is now being overextended on the ground and used as justification for demolishing properties belonging to people who were not parties to the original litigation.
They are particularly challenging the alleged practice of telling property owners that the judgment covers their properties and that they must pay more than GH¢100,000 as a “revaluation fee” or face demolition.
The judgment shown to this publication does not contain an order imposing a GH¢100,000 revaluation payment on residents or authorising a blanket demolition exercise across every developed property in Afienya-Mataheko.
That distinction, residents say, must be properly investigated.
One affected resident, Mr Samuel Adumuah, says his building, which had reached the roofing stage, was demolished by a team of land guards allegedly accompanied by police personnel.
Mr Adumuah has accused Afienya District Police Commander Chief Superintendent Stanley Dzakpasu and Tema Regional Police Operations Commander DSP Jean Kpeli of allegedly supervising or supporting the operations.
He claims that repeated petitions to the police hierarchy have failed to bring meaningful intervention.
According to him, the presence of police officers during the operations has emboldened those carrying out the demolitions and left affected residents feeling helpless.
“We cannot understand how the police, whose duty is to protect citizens and maintain law and order, will accompany people to destroy properties when there is a dispute over land,” Mr Adumuah said.
For Madam Sandra Obeng, a trader whose property was allegedly demolished months ago, the dispute has left her devastated.
Madam Obeng alleges that on the day her property was demolished, persons she identified as Teye Lartey Gberbie, Moses Awuley Gberbie, Isaac Narh Masiakwa and Isaac Govina, alias Obimpeh, were present.
She claims she showed the demolition team documents which, according to her, established her lawful interest in the property, but the demolition allegedly proceeded regardless.
Speaking about the incident, Madam Obeng struggled to hold back her tears as she recounted the financial and emotional consequences of losing her property.
Another affected resident, Mr Daniel Tetteh, says his life has come under threat because of his refusal to surrender his property.
Mr Tetteh argues that although the Supreme Court judgment dealt with the Ayiku-Gberbie Family’s claim over a much larger described area, the immediate dispute involving Edusei-Poku included a 5.66-acre portion.
He therefore questions how the judgment is allegedly being used to target people across several communities who were not parties to the case.
He is calling on the Minister for the Interior, the Inspector-General of Police and the Presidency to urgently investigate the matter before the situation escalates.
At the heart of the controversy is a question residents say the police hierarchy must answer, Who authorised the deployment of police personnel to accompany private individuals during the demolition of disputed properties?
And if the police were merely providing security to prevent violence, residents want to know why the alleged demolition teams were allowed to proceed where affected property owners were contesting their right to remain on the land.
The Police Service’s published functions include maintaining public order and safety of persons and properties, while its CID structure specifically identifies property fraud as an area for investigation.
Residents consequently want the police to explain whether any investigation has been opened into the allegations of landguard activity, threats, unlawful demolition and the alleged collection of large sums of money from affected property owners.
In a related development, a joint team of personnel from the Ghana Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) and National Security, on 29 September 2026, arrested some individuals allegedly providing security for an encroachment and illegal construction on one of the disputed lands at Afienya Rice City. The suspects, who reportedly claimed to be National Security operatives, have since been detained and are assisting the police with investigations.
