The Member of Parliament for Nkwanta South, Geoffrey Kini, disclosed that eleven people were reported dead within the first 24 hours of the conflict that occurred in the Nkwanta township.
The conflict, which erupted over disagreements related to the performance of rites connected to the Akyodes’ 2023 annual yam festival, has also resulted in several injuries and property damage, prompting many residents to flee the area.
In a statement on the floor of Parliament, the MP, who bemoaned the impact of the conflict on education and farming activities, called for peace from all stakeholders for life to return to normalcy.
“Within the first 24 hours of the outbreak of hostilities, eleven people were officially reported dead. The usually vibrant and boisterous town degenerated into a ghost town with hundreds taking flight to near and distant towns and villages, with others barricading themselves and their families in their homes to escape from being killed.
“Mr. Speaker, let me commend the security agencies comprising a combined teamwork of police and soldiers for their swift response, which helped to stop the carnage. But for their intervention, the fighting would have reached a more catastrophic proportion and claimed more precious lives.”
The Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, also added that many individuals have been prosecuted for violating the curfew imposed in the Nkwanta township. He maintains that the curfew is still in force.
“Let me inform the House that the curfew is being imposed and enforced, and a number of people who have breached it have been sent to court, convicted, and fined, so there has been some calm. However, we also have to admit that because the case is a land matter, we cannot take it for granted.”
