DISTURBING PHOTO: Woman shot dead at Alavanyo

• Posted on May 22, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The feud between residents of Nkonya and Alavanyo in the Volta Region last Saturday recorded yet another fatality.

In the latest incident, a woman believed to be about 62 years, was allegedly gunned down at Alavanyo-Kpeme.

The situation, which has heightened tension in the area, has attracted heavy security presence to prevent reprisal attacks.

The body of the victim, Elizabeth Yawa Anku, has since been sent to the morgue for autopsy.

She had reportedly gone picking mangoes from her farm which is about 100 meters from her house, when she purportedly met her untimely death.

This is the second killing in the area in less than two weeks after a 12-year-old boy was also reportedly shot and killed at his home in broad daylight.

About a month ago, similar sporadic shootings also resulted in the killing of one person and injury of two others.

Confirming the incident to the media, the Volta Regional Minister, who is the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Dr. Archibald Letsa, described the incident as unformatted and uncalled0-for.

He gave the assurance that the situation was under control as security had been beefed up to forestall any reprisal attacks.

The team of police and military personnel stationed in the area fired warning shots to calm the situation.

According to Dr Letsa, the security personnel had quickly organized themselves to flash out the persons behind the exchange of the gunfire while they protected lives and property. In the process, a woman was said to be missing, only to be found dead in her farm with gunshot wounds.

Residents of Nkonya and Alavanyo in the Biakoye District and Hohoe municipality respectively, have been disputing over a piece of land close to a century now. What started as a land dispute, later degenerated into violent attacks which have led to loss of lives, properties, killing of economic activities and sluggish development.

Several attempts have been made by successive governments, non-governmental organizations, individuals and groups to bring about peace but to no avail. Government is making some moves to take over the piece of land but some of the chiefs at the centre of the feud have rejected the proposal.

From Fred Duodu, Ho ([email protected])