Bloodshed At Upper Dixcove

There was pandemonium at Upper Dixcove in the Ahanta West Municipality in the Western Region on Monday when some youth suspected to be from Lower Dixcove, wielding clubs and other offensive implements, clashed with the youth from Upper Dixcove.

In the process, the mother of the Omanhene of Upper Dixcove Traditional Area, Obrepong Hima Dekyi, a sub chief and some relatives of the chief were seriously attacked.

The sub chief whose name was given as Nana Diako Kra was said to have been stripped naked by the alleged attackers and was made to walk on the streets of Upper Dixcove before he was subjected to severe beatings.

Some of the residents in Upper Dixcove, particularly the youth, were also inflicted with cutlass wounds in the attack and others had to run for their dear lives.

It took the timely intervention of the personnel from the Regional Police Command to restore order in the fishing community.

Some of the residents claimed that it was reprisal attack, explaining that similar incident occurred at Lower Dixcove last year, which was believed to have been orchestrated by some residents of Upper Dixcove.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that even though calm had been restored by the security agents, some residents in Lower Dixcove vowed to retaliate at all cost.

Previous Incident

In the previous incident last year, the Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove Traditional Area, Nana Kwasi Agyemang IX, was subjected to severe beatings, stripped naked and abducted by the assailants, their counterparts in Upper Dixcove.

The attackers reportedly used dynamite to break into the heavily fortified gate at the palace of the Paramount Chief of Lower Dixcove to take control of the place.

They damaged some items at the palace and set the electricity transformer ablaze, resulting in a total blackout in the area.

They then abducted the paramount chief, beat him mercilessly, stripped him naked and inflicted machete wounds on him.

The cause of their action was not immediately known, but it was believed to have been necessitated by a land dispute between the victim and the rival chief.

The two communities used to be one but the colonial masters divided it into Upper and Lower Dixcove.

Currently, Lower Dixcove has 39 communities, while Upper Dixcove has only nine communities.

Police

Confirming the recent incident, DSP Olivia Ewurabene Adiku, said on Monday at about 10:50am, Nana Agyemang IX, Omamhene of Lower Dixcove, called police on phone to report that he had information that the mother of Obrempong Hima Dekyi and other chiefs from Upper Dixcove were being attacked but it later turned out that it was his own people doing the attack.

Nana Agyeman reported that the victims were attacked at Torome, in Upper Dixcove but were rescued to his palace in Lower Dixcove; as such Police should quickly intervene to save the situation.

DSP Adiku said immediately after the Lower Dixcove Chief called, Obrempong Hima Dekyi of Upper Dixcove also called to report that his mother and some chiefs of Upper Dixcove were being attacked at the Lower Dixcove Palace.

The PRO said police mobilised and met Nana Diako Kra, a sub chief in Upper Dixcove, with a swollen face being escorted to board a vehicle to the hospital.

Police took him into their vehicle and proceeded to the Lower Dixcove Palace where six of the victims were met sitting inside.

Some victims who were rescued included Nana Dekyi Manza, Queen mother of Torome; Christiana Akua Yeboah, mother of Obrempong Hima Dekyi;  Charlotte Yeboah, Nana Diako Kra, Jona Aidoo and Sadick Shobajo.

She said all the victims were sent to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital for treatment, adding “the actual cause of the attack is not known.”

No Arrest Made

The police spokesperson said that so far no arrest had been made but those injured were receiving treatment at the hospital and had not yet given any statement to the police.

She confirmed the presence of the police in the area and said the command was engaging the youth in both communities to allow peace to prevail.

She said as at the time of the incident, the two paramount chiefs were not present in their respective communities.