Two police officers have been treated and discharged from the Community Hospital in Kukurantumi after sustaining injuries during a violent clash between the police and local youth.
The confrontation erupted following the death of a suspect identified as Bright, who passed away while in police custody.
Reinforcement teams from the Eastern Regional Police Command’s Counter Terrorism Unit, dispatched to support officers from the Akyem Tafo Police Division, were confronted by an irate crowd.
The youth hurled stones at the officers, damaging a Toyota Tundra with registration number GP 4004 and the official Toyota Hilux belonging to the Eastern Regional Police Operations Commander.
In the chaos, two officers sustained eye injuries and were rushed to the Community Hospital, where they received treatment before being discharged.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM on condition of anonymity, one of the youth explained that their actions stemmed from a demand for justice, saying the incident was fueled by frustration over the suspect’s death.
Also in September this year, a chieftaincy dispute in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region turned bloody when the two feuding traditional factions exchanged firearms, leaving one dead and a police officer sustaining severe gunshot wounds.
The Bono Regional Security Council (REGSEC) had deployed military police reinforcement to maintain law and order in the township, as residents stayed indoors.
George Adane, the Jaman North District Chief Executive, confirmed that the injured police officer was on admission, responding to treatment at the Sampa Government Hospital.
He said three residential houses in the township, as well as the Sampa Market, had been set ablaze, adding that the body of the deceased (young man) had also been deposited at the government hospital for preservation and autopsy.
Mr Adane said the incident happened around 1300 hours, explaining that preliminary investigations showed that supporters of Nana Yaw Sammor-Duah II got information that Nana Samgba Gyafla was in the process of being gazetted.
He said they mobilised and hit the Sampa street to register their protest, saying that resulted in the exchange of bullets between supporters of the two feuding factions.
The chieftaincy conflict, which first escalated in 2022, has been a recurring source of violence in Sampa, though the town had experienced relative calm in recent months. Ironically, the latest violence erupted just as the District Security Council (DISEC) was meeting to review the curfew.
