A violent land dispute has resulted in the tragic death of 27-year-old farmer Theophilus Della Tugba at Akyem Ayisikrom in the Upper West Akyem District of the Eastern Region.
The suspected shooter, identified as a landguard, reportedly opened fire during a confrontation over the forced takeover of ancestral farmland.
According to reports, the incident occurred amidst rising tensions over the alleged sale of the community’s farmland to a private developer by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council.
Peasant farmers, who have depended on the land for generations, claim they are being forcibly evicted to make way for development projects.
During a press conference, the aggrieved farmers condemned the destruction of 7,000 acres of crops by the estate developer.
They reported significant losses, including cocoa, palm fruits, pawpaw, oranges, plantains, cassava, and cocoyams, which have been vital to their livelihoods.
The farmers have called on authorities to intervene and provide immediate support to prevent further devastation.
Meanwhile, Benet Kwasi Adu, President of the West Akyem Cooperative Cocoa Farmers Association, has raised concerns over the ongoing destruction of cocoa farms due to illegal mining, rubber plantations, and sand mining activities.
He has urgently appealed to government agencies to take decisive action to safeguard the country’s cocoa sector from further decline.