In the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region, a police encounter with several youngsters at Akwatialine close to Asawase resulted in one person being hospitalized.
Police made dozens of arrests during the riot that took place on Friday, April 14, 2023.
According to reports, the unrest started when the Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly and the Ghana Police Service's Anti Robbery Unit attacked the neighborhood to evict local shopkeepers from a plot of land needed for the construction stores.
Speaking to the media, Mohammed Umar, the secretary of the Akwatialine Wood Sellers Association, claimed that police shot at unarmed citizens with live ammunition.
He pointed out that despite committing no crimes, several of their members had been imprisoned by the police.
"The Assembly is requesting that we leave a location where we have lived for more than 50 years in order to make room for the construction of new stores. We are demanding that they provide us with a location to move our businesses."
The assembly has not yet indicated where we should go, but suddenly they sent in highly armed police officers to beat and forcibly remove us.
Mr. Umar Mohammed has consequently urged regional authorities to swiftly settle the issue and find a location for their relocation.