Residents of Mamime in the Keta Municipality have had to flee from their homes to neighboring towns for the fear of being attacked by some thugs from Trekume, an adjoining community.
Mamime is an island community within the Keta Municipality in the Volta region.
The few residents left in the Mamime town said, they are living in fear as they go to bed with the tremor of being attacked at night by the hoodlums from Trekume.
Narrating their story to the media, some few residents left in the town said one of them, who is a palm wine tapper (Felix Ativor) was strangled to the point of death by the youth from Trekume for felling a palm tree they claim to be theirs.
They said it took the help of one Mikada Tetteh to save Felix Ativor from being killed in cold blood.
Speaking to the surviving victim, Felix Ativor, he narrated that “I was here in the palm farm when suddenly one Dogbey Joseph Lumorvi in the company of some gang from Trekume appeared amidst the chanting of war songs. They asked me who authorized me to fell there palm trees, but before I could utter a word, they pounced on me and started beating me mercilessly, they brought out a red cloth from their pocket, tired it round my neck and started dragging me on the floor in an attempt to strangle me to death. Fortunately, the owner of the palm farm was around and came to my rescue.”
Mr Ativor said the gang destroyed his mobile phone and ceased it but was later released to him by the District Commander at Anloga where a complaint was lodged.
Mikado Tetteh, the owner of the palm trees in his narration also stated that “I am a native of Akatsi and a palm wine tapper. I bought the palm trees from one madam Abla Gboha who hails from this community Mamime. On the 26 of January, we were here working when the gang led by one Lumorvi invaded the farm. I saw that they were beating Felix Ativor, a farm worker of mine and had almost strangled him to death with a red cloth so I had to rush to his rescue. The gang questioned who authorized me to fell the palm trees and I mentioned the name of madam Abla Gboha, they then warned me never to step foot to the farm else they will kill me and my workers. They then took away all my working tools.”
He said, after the incident a report was lodged at the Anloga Police Station but till today not a single arrest has been made even though the people who invaded the community are well known.
He said instead of the police effecting arrest and pushing the case to court, it was rather trying to solve the case by resolving the matter between the matters at the Police station.
In a petition to the Police, the residents say the approach adopted by the Police in trying to solve the issue amicably rather than effecting arrest has emboldened the said gang to again invade the community on the 6th of March, to unleash attacks on some residents including one disabled.
Again, a report was made to the Police but till today not a single arrest has since been made. This, the residents said, is quite disappointing and worrying.
“The only thing is that when we are attacked and we go to the Police Station, the commander will call our attackers and retrieve from them whatever they took from us and that ends it,” why should it be so, they quizzed.
The Assembly Member for the area, Alex Ehia on his part, is unhappy with the development in the area.
According to Mr Ehia, “Since this incident started, we are afraid to go to town. Our women are unable to go to the market and school children unable to go to school because they will have to go through Trekume where our attackers are coming from. They have warned us and sent a threatening message to us that they will be coming again at us and that they will surely kill some of us before they will stop harassing us.”
According to the story, the people of Trekume are angry because they claim the Palm trees that were fell by Mikado Tetteh belonged to the Trekume people and that Madam Abla Gboha has no right to sell any of the Palm trees to anyone.
The residents are thus appealing to the IGP and the Municipal Security Council as well as the Member of Parliament for the area to come to their aid as their lives are in danger and also to avert any chaos or bloodshed in the area.
The Anloga District Police Commander, Thomas Agbanyo in a meeting with some elders from the Mamime assured them of forwarding the case to MUSEC for deliberation and the necessary action taken.
He thus assured the community not to fear and that they will ensure the right thing is done by bringing peace between the two communities.
