Three people have been confirmed dead and up to 19 others injured after an estimated 300-strong mob stormed New Winneba in the Central Region on Tuesday morning, attacking residents, shops and the Effutu North District Police Command in one of the deadliest outbreaks of communal violence in the area in recent years.
Police say the attackers, armed with guns, cutlasses, stones and sticks, descended on the township at about 10:40 a.m. The group is reported to have come from four neighbouring Gomoa communities — Gomoa Oguakrom, Gomoa Yenkuadze, Gomoa Pomadze and Gomoa Yensuade — and targeted natives of New Winneba, vandalising stores and residential properties in the process.
Fifteen of the injured were rushed to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba, with others admitted to the Winneba Municipal Hospital. Among the wounded is a police officer, who authorities say sustained a gunshot wound during the confrontation. The three deceased have been deposited at the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital morgue.
The violence is reported to stem from a long-running land dispute between the two areas. The Central Regional Police Command has since arrested seven suspects, with investigations ongoing to identify others believed to have taken part in the attack.
The Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has deployed reinforcement personnel, including two armoured vehicles, from National Police Headquarters to support officers from the Winneba Divisional Headquarters and the Agona Swedru District Patrol Command already on the ground.
The attack has heightened tensions in the area, with authorities warning of the risk of reprisals. The Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu, Rev. Arthur Mensah, together with the District Chief Executive for Gomoa Central, Hackman Aidoo, visited the injured at the hospital and appealed for calm on both sides. Rev. Mensah said several victims had suffered gunshot wounds and pledged that the Effutu Municipal Assembly would cover their medical costs. Mr Aidoo said measures were being put in place to prevent retaliatory attacks and urged residents on both sides to allow security agencies to handle the matter.
The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, visited the Effutu North District Police Command to get a firsthand account of the incident but was reportedly confronted by angry residents gathered at the scene, forcing security personnel to escort him away to prevent further escalation. Speaking afterward, A-Plus called on the IGP to ensure a thorough investigation, rejected characterisations of the clash as a broader Effutu–Gomoa conflict, and instead pointed to a small group he described as “landguards” operating in the area as the source of the tension.
Security agencies remain deployed in New Winneba to maintain order as investigations into the attack continue.
