Five people, all men, have been confirmed dead, with six others seriously injured during an exchange of gun fire over a parcel of land at Gbenyiri, a suburb of Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Savannah Region.
JoyNews sources at Gbenyiri and the Savannah Regional Police Command report that the gun battle stemmed from a long-standing land dispute between two rival factions.
The injured were rushed to the district hospital in Sawla for treatment.
JoyNews checks in Katalba and Gbenyiri communities revealed that the incident erupted Sunday night, forcing the chief of Gbenyiri to flee his palace and seek shelter at the Kalba chief’s palace.
According to a police source, when the chief of Gbenyiri was returning home the next day, his compatriot, the Kalba chief, asked his son to escort the Gbenyiri chief back to his community.
They were, however, attacked and killed by one of the factions in the land dispute after laying ambush.
A combined team of security personnel, including the Savannah Regional Police Commander DCOP, Awowolo, has been detailed by the Savannah REGSEC to both Kalba and Gbenyiri to protect lives and properties.
No arrests have yet been made.
Source: Isaac Nongya
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