Sokode residents attack policemen

Europa 11:30 - 26 January 2017

File photo

Some angry residents of the area reportedly laid ambush and attacked the policemen who had been dispatched to the area to calm tensions between the locals and some nomadic herdsmen.

Two police officers sustained serious injuries on Wednesday following clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farmers of Sokode Ando in the Volta Region.

The residents had accused the herdsmen of murdering a man on his farm last week. They subsequently reported the case to the police on Monday.

But reports say the residents decided to evacuate the herdsmen from the area after they realised that another person had been killed.

The police later arrived at the scene and in their attempt to avert any clashes infuriated some vigilante groups which attacked the police officers in the process.

The angry residents also vandalised a police vehicle in the process and mounted road blocks on a section of the Ho-Accra road to prevent any herdsman from leaving the area.

A police reinforcement team from the regional command later arrived at the scene to restore order.

Some opinion leaders and the Assembly member of the area have since been in talks with the residents to remain calm as their case is being investigated.