A joint operation to evict squatters from an informal settlement behind the Dominase Onion Market in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region turned violent, leaving one man feared dead and three security officers injured.
The operation, led by the Gomoa East District Security Council in collaboration with the Central East Regional Police Command, was prompted by a surge in armed robberies along the Kasoa–Winneba Highway.
Authorities believe the settlement had become a hideout for suspected criminals.
The violence erupted after security forces began a demolition exercise targeting makeshift structures directly behind the market.
Squatters, many described by local officials as “ghetto boys,” resisted the operation and launched a fierce attack on security and assembly personnel using stones, sticks, and cutlasses.
During the chaos, a young man was discovered lying motionless and bleeding inside one of the structures.
Though the exact circumstances of his injuries remain unclear, it is suspected he re-entered the building after residents were ordered to evacuate. Efforts to transport him to a medical facility were obstructed by the enraged squatters.
Three security officers—two policemen and an immigration officer—sustained injuries during the confrontation.
They were initially treated at the Gomoa Potsin Polyclinic and the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital before being transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra for advanced care.
In the heat of the confrontation, two heavy-duty machines belonging to the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP) were vandalised, and the windshield of a police vehicle was smashed.
Officials revealed that earlier in the day, a search operation uncovered illegal drugs and dangerous weapons in the possession of some squatters, further justifying the demolition.
The situation escalated to the point where security personnel were forced to withdraw temporarily. Warning shots were later fired in an effort to restore order.
Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the disturbances and are assisting police with investigations.
A joint operation to evict squatters from an informal settlement behind the Dominase Onion Market in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region turned violent on Wednesday, leaving one man feared dead and three security officers injured.
The operation, led by the Gomoa East District Security Council in collaboration with the Central East Regional Police Command, was prompted by a surge in armed robberies along the Kasoa–Winneba Highway. Authorities believe the settlement had become a hideout for suspected criminals.
The violence erupted after security forces began a demolition exercise targeting makeshift structures directly behind the market. Squatters, many described by local officials as “ghetto boys,” resisted the operation and launched a fierce attack on security and assembly personnel using stones, sticks, and cutlasses.
During the chaos, a young man was discovered lying motionless and bleeding inside one of the structures. Though the exact circumstances of his injuries remain unclear, it is suspected he re-entered the building after residents were ordered to evacuate. Efforts to transport him to a medical facility were obstructed by the enraged squatters.
Three security officers—two policemen and an immigration officer—sustained injuries during the confrontation. They were initially treated at the Gomoa Potsin Polyclinic and the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital before being transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra for advanced care.
In the heat of the confrontation, two heavy-duty machines belonging to the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP) were vandalised, and the windshield of a police vehicle was smashed.
Officials revealed that earlier in the day, a search operation uncovered illegal drugs and dangerous weapons in the possession of some squatters, further justifying the demolition.
The situation escalated to the point where security personnel were forced to withdraw temporarily. Warning shots were later fired in an effort to restore order.
Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the disturbances and are assisting police with investigations.
