Unknown Assailants Invade Lower Dixcove Palace... Omanhene, Others Hospitalised

By Clement Adzei Boye

Sekondi — Unknown assailants wielding machetes, on Sunday night, invaded the palace of Lower Dixcove in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region and attacked the Omanhene, Nana Kwasi Agyemang IX and his people.

The gang destroyed properties and kidnapped Nana Agyemang IX and four of his men.

Briefing the Ghanaian Times, the Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, said the group also allegedly set barrels of fuel and several boats at the beach on fire, and detonated dynamite as they continued their destructions.

According to her, the police team from Agona Nkwanta, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Valentine Akposu, with re-enforcement from Sekondi, under Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kofi Darko, rushed to Dixcove and rescued Nana Kwasi Agyemang IX and the four kidnapped persons from the palace of Nana Hima Dekyi XIV, half naked with cutlass wounds over their bodies.

The Western Regional PRO stated further that the kidnapped were locked up in a room on the second floor of Nana Hima Dekyi's Palace, a situation which compelled the police to break into the room to rescue them.

He said the Omanhene and the four others, after the rescue, were sent to the Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

At about 11:30 pm on Sunday, DSP Adiku said the police received information that the paramount chief of Upper Dixcove, Nana Hima Dekyi XIV, made an announcement for his subjects to gather at his palace.

According to her, the Upper Dixcove's Paramount chief was alleged to have brought well-built men (thugs) who wielded machetes and clubs from outside the town to launch the attack.

DSP Adiku indicated that no one was met at the palace as the occupants fled the area when the police stormed the place to rescue Nana Agyemang IX and the four others.

"Two vehicles, a Ford, GT-7299-X, belonging to the Omanhene of Lower Dixcove and a Daewoo saloon car, GS-4207-10, had their windscreens and glasses damaged.

"Again, about eight boats were also set ablaze as the fire further caused damage to an electric pole with its cables falling to the ground," the Police PRO told the Ghanaian Times.

DSP Adiku said the extent of damage could not be assessed immediately and that "Dixcove is currently calm while the police patrol the area."

"Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Nana Hima Dekyi, the Omanehene of Upper Dixcove, is not known," she added.

Snippets of information gathered by the Ghanaian Times indicate that the situation at Dixcove, for some time, had been uncertain as tension had been boiling between the Lower and Upper Dixcove Paramountcies over legitimacy issues.

Meanwhile, Nana Hima Dekyi XIV has denied his involvement in the alleged attack on Nana Kwasi Agyemang IX and four of his subjects.

Speaking on phone to a local radio station on the issue, Nana Hima Dekyi XIV, said he never went into hiding as it was being speculated and that he was on his way to meet with the Dixcove Police command who have mounted a search for his arrest saying he is not guilty of any wrong doing.

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