Tensions escalated at GICEL Estate as members of the Council of Indigenous Business Associations (CIBA) clashed with over 50 police officers, some of whom were reportedly masked and armed.
The confrontation arose during what CIBA members described as an unannounced and unwarranted operation by the police to lock up shops and evict business owners.
According to eyewitness accounts, the officers stormed the estate without prior notice or formal documentation, prompting outrage among shop owners. The affected members alleged that the operation was illegal and called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and President John Mahama to intervene and bring the officers involved to order.
Speaking to journalists, some aggrieved CIBA members recounted their ordeal.
Saying, the police came early in the morning, started locking up our shops, and evicting us without showing any court warrant or notice. When we questioned their actions, some of us were physically assaulted, they alleged. They are appealing to the government to protect the from these unlawful acts
Efforts to reach the Weija District police command for comment have so far been unsuccessful. However, residents and business owners at GICEL Estate are demanding justice and assurance that such incidents will not recur.
The situation remains tense, with members of the community closely monitoring developments as they await a response from the authorities.