Two people are battling for their lives after being shot by suspected landguards during a dispute over a cassava farm at Okurase, near Adeiso, in the Eastern Region.

According to the victims, who hail from Awutu, their ancestors purchased a vast tract of land at Okurase many years ago.

Over time, portions of the land were leased to farmers for cultivation, with the agreement that the landowners would receive a share of the harvest, a traditional practice locally known as “Yɛ ma yɛn kyɛ.”

The victims explained that their 92-year-old grandmother had given about 10 acres of land to a man identified as Anum to grow cassava last year. She later sent her grandchildren to the farm to collect their share of the harvest.

Speaking to Adom News, the victims recounted that unknown to them, the farmers had allegedly hired a group of armed land guards, reportedly led by a man nicknamed “Ninja,” who ambushed them in the bush.

While they were on the farm, the land guards reportedly opened fire, pepper-sprayed their faces, and inflicted deep machete wounds on them. One of the victims claimed he was struck in the eye with a gun, while another was shot in the head.

They further alleged that one of the assailants initially instructed his colleagues to kill them in a nearby forest, but another intervened and instead took them to the Adeiso Police Station.

Meanwhile, the Mbratohene of Okurase, Nana Kumavi Amenyanu, has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to intervene immediately to prevent further violence.

He accused the group, led by “Ninja,” of terrorising residents and forcibly taking over lands in the Okurase community, warning that locals may be forced to defend themselves if the situation continues.