A violent mob stormed the Kwame Danso District Court on Thursday, December 11, disrupting proceedings and forcibly freeing three accused persons who had just been remanded into police custody. The chaos also left court property vandalized, prompting strong condemnation from the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG). Both the court and nearby police station have since been closed indefinitely due to heightened security concerns.
The incident stemmed from escalating tensions over land disputes in the Sene West District. According to Hon. Haris Fuseini, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sene West, local youth farmers had complained that Fulani herders were encroaching on their farmlands, destroying crops in the process. Enraged farmers retaliated by setting fire to a Fulani community, leading to the arrest and court appearance of three suspects.
As the magistrate ordered the remand of the accused, a crowd of agitated youth farmers clashed with police, overpowered security, and stormed the courtroom to secure their release. “The farmers were furious at the court’s decision,” Fuseini explained, noting that the mob targeted both law enforcement and judicial officials in their rampage.
In the aftermath, Fuseini revealed he is mediating the conflict through the district’s Traditional Council to restore calm. He urged Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare and the Interior Minister to authorize the reopening of the police station and court, assuring them of measures to prevent recurrence. No matter the resolution with the chiefs, I will ensure this never happens again, he pledged.
JUSAG has decried the attack as a direct assault on the rule of law, calling for swift security reinforcements and accountability. The closure disrupts access to justice for residents, underscoring the volatile intersection of land rights, ethnic tensions, and local governance in rural Ghana.
Source: Ohemaa Adusi-Poku