The High Court in Accra has cited the Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Vance Baba Gariba, along with other senior officers, for contempt of court in the long-running and increasingly tense Nmai Djor land dispute involving Madam Bortiokor Veronica and Trasacco Development Company Limited.
The contempt proceedings stem from the alleged disregard of an interlocutory injunction issued by the court in a suit filed by Madam Bortiokor Veronica, a native of Nungua, against Trasacco Development Company Limited and other defendants. The case, G/TM/HLG/E1/125/2025, centres on the ownership and control of a disputed 111-acre tract of land at Nmai Djor, which is said to fall under the custodianship of the Nungua Stool.
In a strongly worded statement, the Youth and Traditional Leaders of Nungua said the injunction, served more than three months ago, is clear, unequivocal and legally binding, stressing that it remains in force until set aside by the court. According to the group, any activity on the land during the subsistence of the order constitutes a direct act of contempt.
Despite the injunction, the statement alleged that DSP Nafiu Shittu, COP Vance Baba Gariba and Chief Inspector Evans Osae have willfully defied the court by continuing to deploy police officers to supervise and provide security for what it described as unlawful and provocative activities on the disputed land.
“These officers have been cited for contempt yet continue to issue instructions that facilitate and protect illegal operations on the land,” the statement asserted.
The Council has therefore called on the Police Management Board to take urgent and decisive steps to restrain the cited officers, warning that the integrity of the Ghana Police Service and the authority of the judiciary are being severely tested.
The statement also condemned what it described as the continued construction activities of Trasacco Development, allegedly carried out with the backing of armed land guards and security personnel claiming political and judicial protection. The group warned that the situation represents a dangerous slide into impunity and an open challenge to the authority of the court.
“This is a blatant violation of a lawful court order and an unacceptable abuse of power. We cannot remain silent while our ancestral lands are forcibly taken and our people subjected to fear and intimidation,” the statement said.
The Youth and Traditional Leaders issued a firm ultimatum, demanding that Trasacco Development, Empire Builders and members of the Teshie Okpelor Sowah Din family immediately withdraw all land guards, armed operatives and any military presence from the disputed site, insisting that court orders and traditional land rights must be respected without exception.
They further appealed to the government and the leadership of the Ghana Police Service to act swiftly to restore calm and uphold the rule of law in Nmai Djor, cautioning that failure to do so could threaten peace, stability and legitimate development in the area.
As tensions continue to rise, attention is now firmly focused on the courts and the police hierarchy to enforce accountability and reaffirm the supremacy of the law.