Some young men have been arrested by a joint security force at the residence of Lenwah Kwame Bright, the former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Nkwanta.
The arrest comes in the wake of heightened tensions and ongoing violence in the Nkwanta South Municipality, which has led to the displacement of hundreds of residents.
While details about the identities of the arrested individuals and the reasons for their presence at the former MCE’s residence remain unclear, the incident has raised further questions amid the unrest in the area.
A renewed ethnic conflict in Nkwanta, the capital of the Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly, has claimed the lives of seven people and forced approximately 200 residents to flee their homes. The violence has also left eight houses and shops burned to the ground, with the township now resembling a ghost town.
The conflict, rooted in a long-standing ownership dispute between the Akyode, Adele, and Challa ethnic groups, escalated when unidentified armed men disrupted a burial ceremony at a cemetery.
According to an eyewitness, the group of mourners had just completed burning the remains of their relative when gunfire erupted, forcing them to flee unharmed.
In response to the unrest, a joint security force has been deployed to Nkwanta. Military personnel in armoured vehicles have taken strategic positions in the town, patrolling the streets to restore order.
However, residents expressed mixed feelings about the presence of the military, with some fearing potential human rights abuses.
Residents flee Nkwanta conflict as military and police patrol streets