There have been deaths and injuries following violent clashes in New Winneba in the Central Region on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, as a long-running land dispute between the Gomoa and Effutu ethnic groups turned bloody.

The two groups, which have coexisted peacefully for centuries, have recently become embroiled in a dispute over land ownership.

There were conflicting accounts of the number of casualties. While some reports said three people were killed and 15 others seriously injured during the shooting incident, other accounts put the number of injured at seven and made no mention of any deaths.

However, an update from the Public Affairs Officer of the Central Regional Police Command, Chief Inspector Isaac Evans Ettie, late on Tuesday evening confirmed that the violence was linked to a longstanding land dispute. He confirmed three deaths and said 17 others were injured.

He disclosed that seven people had been arrested in connection with the violent clashes between the Gomoa and Effutu ethnic groups in New Winneba.

The Ghana Police Service also confirmed that those injured included a police officer stationed at the New Winneba Police Station, who sustained injuries during the violence. The officer was taken to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba for treatment.

The Herald’s information is that the violent clash, said to be the second in recent times, was linked to a dispute over land ownership involving people from the Gomoa Central Constituency and New Winneba in the Effutu Constituency.

According to the Police, about 300 people armed with guns, stones, cutlasses and sticks from Gomoa Oguakrom, Gomoa Yenkuadze and Gomoa Pomadze stormed New Winneba Township at about 10:40 a.m.

The Gomoa group allegedly attacked residents and vandalized shops, stores, and other properties belonging to members of the Effutu community.

The violence reportedly began after an attempt was made to lock up some shops in the area. Residents of New Winneba resisted, resulting in a confrontation that escalated into a gun battle.

Several people were left injured in the ensuing violence, while some residents fled the Effutu community amid the gunfire.

Police personnel from the Winneba Divisional Headquarters and the Agona Swedru District Patrols were deployed to contain the violence and restore calm.

Security has since been reinforced in the area as personnel work to prevent further escalation.

The Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, subsequently deployed additional personnel from the National Police Headquarters, including two armoured vehicles, to reinforce security operations in the area.

At the time of going to press, the Ghana Police Service said the situation was under control, with security personnel remaining deployed to prevent further disturbances.

The Police said further details would be communicated as investigations continued.

The clash has raised questions about security intelligence and preparedness, particularly given the scale of the mobilization and the weapons allegedly used.

The Gomoa Central Constituency is located in the Gomoa Central District of the Central Region, with Afransi as its administrative capital, while the Effutu Constituency is located within the Effutu Municipal Assembly, with Winneba serving as its administrative capital and principal town.

Rev. Atta Mensah is the Municipal Chief Executive of the Effutu Municipal Assembly, while Hackman Kobina Aidoo heads the Gomoa Central District. It remains unclear whether the two assemblies had any prior intelligence about the impending violence.

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on the Police and other security agencies to investigate Tuesday’s deadly violence and arrest those responsible.

Kwame Asare Obeng, alias “Kwame A-Plus”, the MP for Gomoa Central, had, at the time of going to press, yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned how a group of youths from three adjoining communities could allegedly mobilize, armed with guns, machetes and clubs, and enter New Winneba in broad daylight without being intercepted by security personnel.

“My word to the Police, and I speak directly to the divisional commander. ACP, divisional commander, please. I have always told you to be firm. Please be firm and keep the peace,” he said.

The Effutu MP said the Police must demonstrate their authority by identifying those behind the violence and ensuring that they face the law.

“This was not done in the night. It’s broad daylight, morning, walking, and chanting one song to another community,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin also questioned whether adequate security intelligence had been available ahead of the attack, particularly given the presence of a police station in the area.

“What did they do? What were their early warnings? These are quite disturbing,” he said.

He urged the Central Regional Police Command and the National Police Headquarters to collaborate in identifying those who organized or participated in the violence.

“If indeed the Regional Command, assisted by the headquarters of the Ghana Police, joins forces and they get into the community day and night, within a week, I am very positive that they will get to know all those behind,” he said.

The Minority Leader further called for investigations into the source of the weapons allegedly used during the attack, including guns, machetes, and clubs.

He warned that failure to deal decisively with the perpetrators could fuel further violence and urged residents not to engage in retaliatory attacks.

“Nobody should take the law into his own hands or hers and plan any revenge,” he said.

Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed that the immediate priority should be to identify those responsible, prosecute them in accordance with the law, and restore peace in New Winneba and the surrounding communities.