The Ashanti Regional Security Council (ARSC) has issued a stern warning to residents of Kumasi and its environs against employing the services of land guards to settle land disputes, citing a rise in unlawful activities associated with these individuals.

In a statement released on June 20, the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) expressed serious concerns about the increasing incidents involving land guards in the region. 

The council emphasised that resorting to land guards to resolve land issues is illegal and undermines the rule of law.

According to the ARCC, residents are urged to follow legal procedures established for addressing land disputes rather than resorting to unauthorised means. 

The council highlighted the importance of adherence to lawful mechanisms to maintain peace and order in communities.

Furthermore, the ARSC cautioned that anyone found engaging land guards will face legal consequences. 

The council reiterated its commitment to apprehending and prosecuting individuals who hire land guards, affirming that such actions will not go unpunished.

In addition to warning residents, the council stated its intention to crack down on the activities of land guards themselves. 

Those identified as land guards will also be subject to the full extent of legal proceedings, ensuring accountability for their illegal actions.

“Based on this fact, the Ashanti Regional Security Council requests all citizens in the region to use the right procedures to address their land disputes rather than to employ the use of land guards whose activities always threaten law-abiding citizens and result in violence.

“The Ashanti Regional Security Council therefore states that any person found to engage the services of land guards will be apprehended, prosecuted, and put before court. The land guards will not be spared either. They will be made to face the full rigours of the law," an excerpt of the statement said.