There was pandemonium at Sakumono Village in Accra when a group of irate youths numbering about 200 attacked the queen mother of the village, Naa Borle Wulu I, for resisting open defecation in the area, on Saturday.
Nine people, including the assembly member of the area, Richard Sorgbordjor, 41,and a woman have been arrested.
They were reported to be part of the mob that attacked the queen mother’s residence.
The crowd said to be armed with sticks, cudgel, stones and machetes, pelted the house with stones thus causing damage to the building, shattering the glass of the right back window of the vehicle of the crime officer called to restore law and order.
The head of Police Public Affairs of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
She said on May 2, at about 10a.m the Baatsonaa Divisional Police Command received information that a riotous mob had attacked the house of the queen mother and attempted to set the building ablaze.
DSP Tenge said police patrol team, led by the Divisional Crime Officer Superintendent (Supt) Bernard Ananga, went to the scene and saw about 200 people armed with sticks, cudgels, stones and machetes, led by Sorgbordjor,.
She said in an attempt to bring the situation under control, the assembly member incited the mob against the police, and the mob attacked the police with the items they were wielding.
DSP Tenge said the mob, hauled stones at the vehicle of the crime officer thus shattering the glass of the window of the car.
She said police brought the situation under control and arrested the nine suspects, but others escaped.
DSP Tenge said at about 12p.m while there was uneasy calm in the area the Member of Parlaiment, Mr Carlos Ahenkora, assisted the police in restoring calm to the place.
She said information gathered indicated that some residents of the area had no places of convenience in their home, and due to lack of public toilet facility in the area, they resorted to open defecation in the bush at the outskirt of the village, near the residence of the queen mother.
DSP Tenge said investigations also revealed the queen mother protested the practice due to its apparent health implication, but her action infuriated the townfolks, leading to the mob attack.
She said the residents alleged that the queen mother always used thugs to molest them anytime they engaged in open defecation in the area.
DSP Tenge said the suspects had been granted bail, adding that the situation had been brought under control but it was being monitored by the police.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
