Accra court remands two accused of ‘land guard’ activities
A court in Accra, Ghana, has remanded two men accused of so-called land guard activities and unlawfully causing damage to an unfinished building and fence in the East Legon area. Following the court’s decision, 29-year-old carpenter Gabriel Abotsi Ahor and 32-year-old concreter Benjamin Essel knelt down and tearfully begged the complainant for forgiveness, MyJoyOnline reports.
The court rejected the defence’s bail application and set the next hearing for September 23, 2026. Defence counsel said the accused have fixed places of residence and that people of good standing are ready to act as sureties. He also assured the court that the men would not interfere with the investigation.
The prosecution opposed bail, citing the risk of interference with the investigation. According to it, Ahor did not provide police with an address that could be verified. Prosecutors asked that the accused remain in custody to allow the investigation to be completed.
Charges and search
Ahor and Essel are charged with conspiracy to engage in land guard activities, engaging in such activities, conspiracy to unlawfully cause damage, and unlawfully causing damage. Three other alleged accomplices, identified as Watara, Usha and Shamsudin Hussein, are wanted by police, according to police information.
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The prosecution said land guard activities have become an increasingly serious problem because their participants, it alleged, deprive landowners of their property. Police also said they are taking measures to locate the alleged organisers of such activities.
Prosecution’s version
According to the prosecution, the complainant’s father bought two plots of land in Adjiringanor in 1997, and after his death the property passed to the complainant and her two siblings. In July 2026, the complainant and one of them demolished the existing structures in order to build a modern house.
During construction, Ahor, Essel and three other people allegedly threatened the complainant in an attempt to take possession of the land. On July 15, they allegedly arrived at the plot with machetes and other tools, attacked the complainant and two workers, took their tools and drove them off the property. Police arrested Ahor and Essel on September 5 after receiving a report that they and their accomplices were again at the plot.
