Violence Erupts as Kumasi Demolition Exercise Leaves Military Officer, Two Others Injured

A Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) demolition exercise at the Asafo overpassturned violent after squatters resisted the removal of unauthorised structures, leaving three taskforce members, including a military officer, injured. The operation, backed by police and military personnel, targeted makeshift structures behind the COCOBOD building, which the Assembly said were obstructing the Subin River and contributing to persistent flooding.

Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi also described the area as a hotspot for criminal activities, including prostitution and drug abuse, insisting the exercise was part of efforts to decongest the city and enforce sanitation and planning regulations.

The situation escalated when occupants allegedly attacked the taskforce with stones, sticks and other objects, forcing officials to retreat despite warning shots fired by security personnel. Two KMA pickup vehicles and an excavator used for the exercise were damaged, with shattered windscreens and deflated tyres.

Meanwhile, affected traders scrambled to salvage their goods, claiming they received no prior notice and arguing that the demolition would destroy their livelihoods. Some also insisted they had been permitted to occupy the land by a private developer.

Following the clash, Mayor Boadi confirmed that the Ashanti Regional Police Command had launched an investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attacks. He said the injured personnel were in stable condition and had been referred for medical treatment.

Despite the resistance, the Mayor vowed that the Assembly would return with reinforced security to continue the demolition and reclaim the area, maintaining that the exercise remains essential to restoring order, improving sanitation and reducing flooding in Kumasi.