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 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 parties. The case, numbered G/TM/HLG/E1/125/2025, centers 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 press statement, the Youth and Traditional Leaders of Nungua stressed that the injunction, served more than three months ago, is clear, lawful, and binding on all parties until set aside by the court. They emphasized that any form of activity on the land during the pendency of the order constitutes a direct violation of the court’s authority and amounts to contempt.
Despite the injunction, the statement alleges that DSP Nafiu Shittu, COP Vance Baba Gariba, and Chief Inspector Evans Osae have willfully defied the court by directing police officers to provide security and supervision for what the group describes as unlawful and provocative activities on the disputed land.
“These officers have been cited for contempt yet continue to act with impunity, allegedly instructing their subordinates to facilitate illegal operations on the land,” the statement asserted.
The Youth and Traditional Leaders have therefore called on the Police Management Board to take urgent and decisive action against the officers cited, warning that failure to do so would gravely undermine public confidence in the Ghana Police Service and erode respect for the judiciary.
The statement further condemned the alleged continuation of construction activities by Trasacco Development, reportedly supported by armed land guards and security personnel who claim judicial and political backing. The group described the situation as a dangerous slide into lawlessness and a direct affront to the authority of the court.
In a final demand, the Youth and Traditional Leaders called on Trasacco Development, Empire Builders, and members of the Teshie Okpelor Sowah Din family to immediately withdraw all land guards, armed personnel, and any form of military presence from the disputed site. They insisted that both court orders and traditional land rights must be respected without exception.
The group also 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 continued inaction could threaten peace, stability, and legitimate development in the area.
As tensions continue to mount, attention is now firmly focused on the judiciary and the police hierarchy to enforce accountability and reaffirm the supremacy of the law.