Some of the injured residents
The celebration of this year’s Kundum Festival of the chief and people of Apremdo in the Western Region turned bloody when two feuding factions in a chieftaincy dispute clashed.
The violent clash which occurred on Wednesday at about 7pm led to the burning of houses.
Some people also suffered acid burns and cutlass wounds.
Apremdo, in the Ahanta Traditional Area and under the administration of the Effia-Kwesimitsim Metropolitan Assembly (EKMA), has been sitting on time-bomb as a result of a chieftaincy dispute between the two factions in the town.
One of the factions supporting the chief, Nana Egya Kwamena had insisted that the queen mother, Nana Mozu had been destooled while the other claimed that the traditional leaders was still at post.
As part of the steps to ensure peace in the area, the Metropolitan Security Council advised the people not to celebrate Kundum Festival this year.
However, one of the factions, believed to be supporters of the chief, decided to go ahead and celebrate the festival.
On Wednesday evening while they were drumming and dancing to mark the festival, the other faction confronted them, resulting in the unfortunate incident.
The police were quickly called in to help restore order.
Arrest
The police had since arrested nine persons in connection with the violence.
Their names were given as Kofi Arhin, 21; Edward Johnson, 21; Evans Amoah, 30, Solomon Wuru, 50, Jona Odum 25, Joseph Essien 43, John Baidoo 47, David Osei Yalley, 24 and John Banasco, 35.
The police retrieved drums, daggers, machetes, gong-gongs and talisman from them.
Police
Confirming the story to DAILY GUIDE, DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), said the incident occurred on Wednesday at about 7:27pm.
She narrated that the Kwesimintsim District Police Commander, Supt Peter Aidoo received a call from the MCE, Kojo Acquah that there had been violent clash at Apremdo.
The District Commander quickly informed the Police Patrol team at Kwesimintsim to proceed to the scene.
She said it was gathered that some people suspected to belong to Nana Egya Kwamina XI, Chief Of Apremdo, were drumming, dancing and singing at the venue for the Kundum Festival.
She added that suddenly another group of people suspected to be the supporters of the Queen Mother, Nana Mozu VIII, led by one John Nat Panyin, attacked the revellers and sprinkled some substance suspected to be acid on them.
According to her, the Regional Information Room of the Police Service was also informed and three patrol teams were dispatched to the scene where they saw a house on fire.
She indicated that some people sustained various degrees of injury and were rushed to Kwesimintsim Government Hospital.
DAILY GUIDE learnt that Nana Egya Kwamina’s faction also became offended so they mobilized themselves and went to John Nat Panyin’s house.
The group, numbering about 40 surrounded the said house and set the house ablaze and bolted.
The Apremdo Fire Service was contacted and one fire station officer ADO1 Benard Adjei led a team with one fire tender to the scene in an effort to quench the fire.
Reinforcement was later called from Sekondi and another fire tender was dispatched.
It took the fire officers about two hours to bring the fire under control.
The police PRO disclosed that those in the house at the time managed to escape, but the house and other unidentified property were gutted.
DSP Olivia Adiku said the queen mother, Nana Mozu VIII later reported an assault and arson case on her relatives against one Paapa and Yankey, all of Apremdo.
The PRO mentioned that the police proceeded to the hospital and found 14 people, including men, women and children with various degrees of injury.
She revealed that one Dominic Yankey and Joseph Baidoo had parts of their faces burnt while one Ignatius Yankey also sustained a cutlass wound on his head.
She mentioned that at the Military Clinic at Apremdo, one Kingsley Cudjoe, 63, who sustained a deep cut on the head, was treated and discharged.
The Regional Police PRO told DAILY GUIDE that the general situation on the ground was calm and that the security agents were on the ground to avert reprisal attacks.
“The police are still monitoring the situation and those arrested had been detained for further investigations,” she added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Apremdo