Enforce anti-vigilante laws to curb landguard menace

 Reports of renewed landguard attacks at New Legon in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Ac­cra Region are deeply disturbing. Residents and estate developers say they live in constant fear as armed groups led by individuals continue to terrorise them, bru­talising workers and destroying property with impunity.

Only last week Thursday, a mason was severely injured when some armed group descended on the community, firing guns, assaulting people and causing extensive damage. Indeed, these attacks are not isolated incidents. They actually represent a long-standing men­ace that has plagued land devel­opment across parts of Greater Accra and beyond, undermining law and order, stifling invest­ment and endangering lives.

What is more troubling is that the perpetrators allegedly operate under the protection of powerful figures who supply them with vehicles and weap­ons. It is important to draw attention to the fact that as a nation, Ghana has not been passive in the face of such lawlessness.

Parliament in 2019 unani­mously passed the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999) to outlaw the forma­tion, promotion, training and funding of vigilante groups. The law was enacted against the backdrop of increasing political vigilantism, but its scope was deliberately made broad to cov­er any group that takes the law into its own hands, including landguards.

Under Act 999, participation in or financing of vigilante groups is a criminal offence punishable by heavy fines and custodial sentences. It is therefore baffling that, in spite of this clear legal framework, landguards continue to flourish in some communities, acting with brazenness that suggests they are untouchable.

When individuals wield assault rifles, patrol neighbour­hoods on motorbikes, and openly defy police presence, it raises serious questions about enforcement.

Are our security agencies under-resourced, or is there reluctance to confront certain powerful interests?

We on The Ghanaian Times hold the view that laws, no matter how well-crafted, are meaningless unless they are implemented without fear or favour. It would be recalled that when the anti-vigilante bill was being debated, Members of Par­liament across the political di­vide pledged that Ghana would never again tolerate groups that usurp the role of the security services.

Yet, nearly six years on, landguard violence remains a reality for innocent citizens and developers.

We must also stress that the consequences go beyond physical harm. The activities of landguards create insecurity in the real estate sector, discour­age investment, reduce housing supply, and erode confidence in the rule of law. For a country that faces a significant housing deficit, this is unacceptable.

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