The Ashanti Regional Security Council(ARSC) has raised concerns over the increasing illegal activities of land guards in various communities across the region.

These organized criminal groups are often hired to protect land and property amid disputes, frequently resorting to violence and causing significant threats to public safety.

Historically, the Ashanti Region has enjoyed relative peace due to the centralized control of stool lands under His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, with his chiefs acting as caretakers.

 This system has allowed for land disputes to be resolved through appeals to the King, ensuring a peaceful and orderly process.

However, recent trends show a troubling rise in the use of land guards, prompting the Regional Security Council to take action. 

The Council has urged all residents to follow legal procedures for resolving land disputes instead of hiring land guards.

“Any person found to be engaging the services of land guards will be apprehended, prosecuted, and arraigned,” stated the Council in a notice issued on Friday, June 20, 2024, and signed by its chairman, Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah.

 The notice emphasized that the activities of land guards not only endanger law-abiding citizens but also lead to unnecessary violence.

The Regional Security Council called on the public to respect this directive to ensure peace and security in the region