Eight suspects, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with a chieftaincy dispute at Egyambra, in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.
The installation of a rival chief, Nana Fabin Amantwe V, last Thursday, resulted in violence and confusion, in the town, the Ghanaian Times has learnt.
Reports indicated that three chiefs from Ellembelle, were ambushed by a group allegedly belonging to the faction of Nanaimo III, chief of Egyambra, and torched the vehicle they were travelling by, on the Egyambra road.
The Ghanaian Times gathered that a team from the Takoradi Divisional Police Command, rushed to Egyambra to restore order.But, soon after the departure of the police, mayhem erupted at night as some ‘machomen’ allegedly attacked some people.
Some people reportedlyfled Egyambra, schools closed and the area became a ghost town. Meanwhile, a joint police and military detachment, on Saturday restored law and order.
Narrating his ordeal to the Ghanaian Times, a victim, chief from Ekpu, near Half Assini, Nana Blaychie IV, said that on Thursday, he joined chiefs from Ellembelle, Chief of Ewiaso, Nana KpanyinAmo III and Nana AnochieIII,and Kwame Mensah a driver, Kwame Mensah, to participate in the installation of Nana Fabin AmantwiV, at Egyambra.
Nana Blaychie said on reaching a section of the Egyambra – Elubo road, they realized the road had been blocked with logs, and some men emerged from a rubber plantation, poured fuel on the vehicle and torched it.
He said he escaped through the bush until he arrived at Pillar 32 on the Takoradi-Elubo highway, whiles the driver was rescued by some Good Samaritans and taken to Princess Town Hospital.
A unit committee member of Egyambra, Augustine Kwasi, appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security, to as a matter of urgency intervene in the chieftaincy dispute.
Chief of Egyambra, Nana Kofi Amo III, denied he ordered the Egyambra attack, and accused the Amantwe faction of causing mayhem.
He told the Ghanaian Times that Regional Police Command, National Security and Municipal Security Committee wereall aware of developments at Egyambra.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
