Accra: Three members of the Awutu Senya East Assembly Taskforce suffered critical injuries during a confrontation with mobile phone traders as a demolition exercise unfolded along the Kasoa-Ofaakor stretch. The incident occurred during a collaborative operation with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) aimed at clearing traders from streets and pavements to alleviate traffic congestion.
According to Ghana News Agency, the situation escalated on Tuesday, May 28, 2025, when phone traders at the Ofaakor Taxi Rank began pelting stones at officials dismantling canopies from pavements. This resulted in three individuals sustaining critical injuries to the head and leg, while two others incurred minor injuries, prompting their immediate transfer to Kasoa Polyclinic for treatment. In the aftermath, two individuals were apprehended and are currently assisting police investigations.
Officials highlighted that multiple engagements had taken place with traders and their leaders, including a clear ultimatum to vacate the designated areas, which had been ignored. Nana Adeiso Asuoko, leader of the Assembly Taskforce, expressed surprise at the violent turn of events, noting that assurances had been given by a leader of the traders regarding their compliance.
Nana Adeiso Asuoko stated, “We held a meeting yesterday and I spoke with the leader of the traders in the evening, and he assured me they would vacate the premises this morning. I am therefore surprised these young men decided to attack the officials with stones,” while affirming that the operation would persist despite resistance.
Adding to the account, Mr. Nash Nyande, Municipal NADMO Director, remarked, “We foresaw this and that is why we consistently engaged them. Some complied, the mobile phone sellers whom we are not evicting, but only asking them to remove their canopies declined, which led to the pelting of stones.”
In response, some traders contended that the Assembly had only informed them of the demolition on the same morning it was executed, leaving them insufficient time to prepare. They emphasized the importance of the canopies, which provide essential protection from the elements, pointing out that even officials had benefited from the shelter during a morning drizzle.