Tension Mounts At Adenta

…As Lakeside Estate Guards Attack Assemblies of God Church 

A group of land guards numbering about 6 in a green Nissan Pick Up belonging to the Lakeside Estates company followed by three Police Officers in a police registered Nissan Pickup stormed the premises of the Assemblies of God church on Wednesday at New Adenta in the Adenta Municipality to assault workers working at the church’s premises.

The team of land guards and three police officers stormed the church premises at 9 am to halt ongoing construction activities. They ordered the workers at site to stop putting up the church building and pay them a ransom of ghc350, 000(Thirty Five Thousand Cedis) which would be used to prepare documents for the church.  When the workers resisted their orders, the land guards who call themselves security operatic from Lakeside said they were sent by their Boss, Prince Ayiku, and General Manager of Lakeside Estates Company limited. They attempted to climb the walls of the church to assault the workers. Unfortunately for them, a team of national security operatives and some journalists had arrived on the scene to observe the incident. On realizing the danger they retreated and then started engaging the head Pastor of the church, Reverend Dr Joyce Frimpong in some verbal exchanges on ownership of the land. 

Their nefarious activities attracted lots of people in the area including some church members. When the head pastor showed them original documents covering the land, they were not satisfied and   insisted that they needed the money to do a new document for the church.  Sources indicate that in 2016, a similar team went to the church to intimidate the people and out of fear the church paid a sum of Ghc10, 000 to them to have some freedom. On realizing they could extort more money from the church, a new team emerged to demand more money.

 Residents have described these land guards as known extremists who have been terrorizing them in the area. When the Journalists confronted the police officers as to why they were following land guards to terrorize resident in the area and the church, one of the officers who gave his name as corporal Adu said they were misled by the land guards and that they were sorry to have intruded on a private property. Corporal Adu who claimed to be stationed at the Police Headquarters said they constantly receive calls from some agents and informants of Lakeside in the community as to people putting up their properties so they would go and stop them “when they see people putting up their buildings they call us to go and stop them. This is bad and I will speak to the boss to bring an end to it”, he stated. We thought there was a problem here, we didn’t know it was a church building being put up “, he added.

Lakeside Company limited is a real estate firm owned by the Kalmoni Family who migrated from Lebanon to settle in Ghana and claiming over 2000 acres of land belonging to Ghanaians. The Kalmoni family owns a range of companies including Silver Star Auto and Japan Motors Company among others.

Meanwhile the New Crusading Guide has cited a court injunction placed on all the lands at Adenta being claimed by Lakeside Estates. There is an ongoing court case between Nii Adjetey Obour Obour Vs. Agric Cattle Limited aka Lakeside Estates and others with suit no: CM0CC0206/17 and an interlocutory injunction placed on the entire land in dispute, here the parties are restrained from making any grants and the use of land guards. However lakeside continuous to sell the land and harass residents.

The suit No: CM 0CC0206/17 Nii Adjetey Obour vs. animal Research , Agric Cattle limited , Anom Yemoh family , Nunguah stool and others states  that “ upon  reading the Affidavits of NII Adjetey  Obour II which was filed on 4^th  September 2017 in support of motion on notice for interlocutory  injunction and upon hearing the submission  of J.K Yeboah , council for Dugbatey , council for and on behalf of  4^th and 6^th defendants /respondents , it is hereby  ordered that applicants and respondents and all parties to this suit  are restrained from making any grants in the area in dispute . In other words, there shall be no further grants by respondents and all other parties till this court gives further orders. Parties are also further restrained from the use of Land guards when contacted the General Manager of lakeside denied ever ordering people to the site to assault workers in the church. Despite the injunction, lakeside continuous to attack, assault and grab lands from their rightful owners. This is contempt of court.

When Contacted on Phone, Prince Ayiku, General Manager of Lakeside estates denied ever authorizing land guards and military men to the place. I am not aware and I don’t know anything about what has happened. He stated in an interview.