The people of Apollonia, near Ashaiman, but in the Kpone Katamanso district in the Greater Accra Region are still pondering over why a group of soldiers, led by one Sgt. Otoo, raided the town last Friday with a machine gun and wreaked havoc on them, for no apparent reasons.
Signals picked up by The Chronicle indicated that the soldiers, who were reportedly acting upon the instructions of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, headed by Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, pummeled their victims who were legitimately working on their lands, amidst the firing of guns shots from the machine gun they had mounted on top of the military vehicle, with registration number 44-GH-12.
The war like attack compelled some of the residents to flee to safety before they were sent to their early graves, by the bullets emanating from the nostril of the machine gun.
They later went and reported the case to the Emefs police station near the Michael Camp, with the empty shells they picked from the scene of the attack as their evidence.
But the soldiers, who were still not satisfied with their action, went and attacked workers of a sand winning Company, which has the license to carry on legitimate business. They reportedly fired several warning shots, forcing the workers to run helter-skelter.
Information gathered by The Chronicle indicated that the Kpone Katamanso District Assembly has revenue collectors stationed at the place, collecting revenue, yet the soldiers went and attacked them.
Investigations conducted by The Chronicle indicate that some top government officials are deeply involved in land and chieftaincy disputes in the Apollonia area, hence the constant harassment of the residents by soldiers.
A police source contacted by The Chronicle confirmed that some of the residents had reported attacks on them by the soldiers to the (police), but declined to make further comments.
When The Chronicle contacted Nii Laryea Afotey Agbotey, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kpone Katamanso, he refused to comment on the case, insisting that: �I will not talk, I will not talk. �He instead directed this reporter to contact the District Chief Executive (DCE).
Afotey Agbo�s claim was that he does not hail from Apollonia and, therefore, did not see why he must comment on issues going on in the town.
The residents are, however, pointing accusing fingers at him, because according to them, he (Afotey) has failed to stop the military brutalities in the area as chairman of the Regional Security Council, despite the repeated signals they have been sending to him.
Meanwhile, the elders of Kojo We, Bediako We and Sanshie are appealing to president Mahama to intervene to stop the constant use of the military to harass them.
According to them, there are no conflicts in the area, but the military men are persistently used by the powers that be, to intimidate with without any justifiable cause. According to them, one of President Mahama�s ministers, who is deeply involved in the land and chieftaincy disputes in the area is behind the use the military to harass the people.
This, they noted, is the reason why the government has failed to punish the soldiers who are behind the attacks, because they (soldiers) are working for their pay masters. Soldiers Raid Apollonia With Machine Guns The Chronicle
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