Accra Circuit Court remanded Gabriel Abotsi Ahor and Benjamin Essel, accused of engaging in land‑guard activities and unlawfully demolishing an unfinished building and a fence wall in East Legon, after the two men wept uncontrollably in court.
Ahor, a carpenter, and Essel, a concrete mixer, knelt and pleaded with the complainant for forgiveness amid tears, an emotional display that moved some relatives to tears as police escorted them from the courthouse.
The court declined a bail application filed by their counsel and ordered the pair to reappear on 23 September 2026. The accused face charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, engaging in land‑guard activities, and causing unlawful damage.
Three alleged accomplices—Watara, Usha and Shamsudeen Hussein—remain at large, with police continuing the hunt. The prosecution argued that the men could interfere with investigations and that land‑guard activities have become a growing menace, depriving vulnerable property owners of their lands.
Defence counsel had requested bail, noting the accused had fixed abodes and good‑repute sureties, and assured the court they would not impede police work. The prosecution opposed, citing the men’s failure to provide a verifiable address and the need to complete investigations.
The case involves a public‑servant complainant from Community 25, Tema, whose family inherited two plots in Adjiringanor. In July 2026, the complainant and a sibling demolished existing structures to build a modern house, after which the accused allegedly invaded the site, assaulted workers, seized tools and chased them away.
Police, acting on a complaint filed on 26 August, deployed a team on 5 September. The accused fled, were pursued and Ahor and Essel were apprehended while the other suspects escaped.
The court adjourned the matter to 23 September 2026, pending further investigations into the remaining suspects.
