Adenta languards remanded

Three rioters who were apprehended by the Police during a demolishing exercise at Adenta on Thursday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court. They are Freeman Aryee, a driver, Emmanuel Armah a labourer and Tijani Osman a painter. Charged with rioting with weapons, the accused person who were without lawyers, have pleaded not guilty. The court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri has remanded them into Police custody to reappear on January 20. Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Morkeh said the complainants were policemen stationed at the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, whiles accused persons were land guards resident at Adenta in Accra. DSP Morkeh said on October 17 last year, the government of Ghana realised that Ghana Civil Aviation's land at Adenta, secured in 1958 had been encroached upon by squatters and through the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Natural Resources sent several verbal warnings to the squatters to vacate the said parcel of land. On December 4, last year, the Police received a letter from government through the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Natural Resources to assist in the demolishing exercise at Adenta. Prosecution said on January 6, this year, 25 Policemen were detailed to assist and protect eight bulldozers in the demolishing exercise. While undertaking the exercise, Aryee and Adjei Akpor now deceased armed with three machetes with inscription �Village 4, 5 and 0, and some pump action guns and clubs distributed the weapons to other land guards. The land guards on receipt of the those weapons proceeded to where one of the bulldozers was and smashed its wind screen and moved in to attack policemen in their bid to seize their rifles. Akpor, now deceased and others moved towards one of the Policemen saying �today blood will flow, somebody will die today. The deceased ignored the several warning shots from the Police to retreat. Prosecution said in the process the irate youths in the area joined the land-guards and one of the Policemen fired and some bullets hit Akpor and he died. The Police however, managed to arrest three of them together with their cutlasses while the others escaped.