Tension is mounting in the Emena Constituency of the Ashanti Region with residents threatening chaos if the police fail to release three individuals who were arrested for allegedly preventing a private developer from constructing a road through a cemetery.

The youth argued that the said construction has resulted in the demolition of numerous graves and the exhumation of ancestral remains.

According to a report filed by UTV, the private developer initiated the construction of a road leading to his residence, directing it through the cemetery of the town, and as a result, the residents, in their efforts to protect the burial grounds, objected to the destruction caused by the road project which resulted in their arrest.

Kenneth Owusu Bediako, the Assembly member of the Emena Boadi Appiahdu Kokoben electoral area, speaking in an interview with UTV, expressed his support for the youth, citing personal observation of three demolished graves. He emphasized that the exhumation of buried remains is considered taboo.

“For me, I heard on Friday that they have brought grader to demolish our graves which has resulted in some graves of our fathers being exposed, so, I went to the police station to discuss with them, for myself I have witnessed about three graves that have been demolished…so, I support the steps that the youths have taken because it is a great taboo to exhume our grandfathers' grave with a grader.”

Several residents voiced their concerns over the issue. One resident lamented, "What is painful is that someone has taken the law into his hands to exhume our graves, believing that his son, a Circuit Court Judge, will deliver justice on his behalf, disregarding the feelings of the community."

“He went for Caterpillar at his own discretion without the consent of anybody to demolish the grave.”

Another resident added, "My father Kwaku Mensah's grave is now exposed. We implore our leaders to intervene and protect our cemetery."

Confusion rocks Emena as land developer exhumes dozens of graves; three protesting youth arrested#UTVNews pic.twitter.com/QF9rBTmaFy

— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) July 11, 2023

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