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36 arrested after residents clash with police

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A 27-year-old cleaner at the Tema Port, George Bruce, who is alleged to have instigated the residents of Tema Newtown against the police resulting in a fierce gun battle and the destruction of property worth thousands of Ghana cedis, has been arrested. Additional 35 persons have also been picked up in connection with the incident. Last Saturday, September 11 the Tema Metropolitan Authority (TMA) embarked on a demolition exercise to clear illegal structures on a parcel of land owned by the Tema Naval Base located near the Chemu Lagoon which had been encroached on by fishermen who reside at Tema Newtown. However, the residents returned just days after the demolition claiming that they had occupied the land for about 50 years and insisted they would not go away resulting in the clash. The fishermen’s actions prompted the private contractor hired by the TMA to destroy the illegal structures, Inova Holdings, to go back to the area and embark on another demolition exercise but the fishermen, led by George Bruce, fiercely resisted the exercise by attacking the contractor, Mr. Ben Kenneth Ntumi. The angry resident went overboard setting ablaze his Toyota Tacoma car as well as the bulldozer for the exercise. They also set fire to a five-block office building and it took the personnel of the Tema regional Fire Service some time to quench the fire and save two of the offices. Police personnel who had accompanied the personnel of Inova Holdings intervened and fired shots to disperse the crowd but the residents also fired back creating a chaotic scene.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.