A violent confrontation between a local resident and landguards has left one person seriously injured and a family house burnt down in Penten, a community in the Afigya Kwabre North District of the Ashanti Region.
Vincent Yormedor, the Assembly Member for the area, confirmed the incident to Nhyira News, saying the protracted land dispute escalated into violence around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, March 21, 2026.
He explained that the landguards had repeatedly destroyed an ongoing building project belonging to Yaw Darko, also known as Macho, and demanded money from him.
Meanwhile, Yaw Darko insists he has paid all necessary fees to the authorities to continue his project, but claims the landguards have persisted in harassing him.
“The landguards destroyed Macho’s building, which was at the lintel stage. When Macho became aware of the incident, he went to the landguards’ camp to question them about the destruction. Upon confronting them, they beat him up and chased him away,” Vincent Yormedor said.
The Assembly Member added that Yaw Darko returned home but later went back to the landguards’ camp armed with two cutlasses.
“When Yaw Darko arrived at the scene, three landguards were present. Two of them fled, leaving one behind. In the confrontation that followed, Yaw Darko attacked the remaining landguard with a cutlass, severing his hand and inflicting severe injuries to his neck and forehead,” he said.
Mr. Yormedor was unable to confirm the exact location where the injured guard is receiving treatment, noting that reports indicate he is at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Yaw Darko is currently on the run.
In a reprisal attack, the landguards reportedly torched Yaw Darko’s seven-bedroom family house at Penten, rendering the occupants homeless.
The Assembly Member expressed concern about the presence of landguards in the community, noting that the identity of the individuals who brought them remains unknown.
The incident has heightened tension and insecurity in the area, with residents calling for an end to the land dispute. The Ghana Police Service has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
