A gang of macho men belonging to the chief of Nsadweso in the Wassa East District of the Western Region have inflicted cutlass wounds on some residents of the town.

A misunderstanding between a mobile money merchant and one of the macho men, popularly known in the area as Seedorf, was said to have triggered the attack on the residents who have been on a collision path with the chief and his macho men.

Already there is tension between the youth of the town and the macho men over a galamsey site which the chief has contracted them to serve as guards.

According to the residents, Seedorf went to the mobile money merchant in the community for a transaction which he later claimed failed to go through despite receiving a message on his phone confirming that the transfer has been successful.

This, according to witnesses, led to a misunderstanding resulting in a fight between some of the residents who were attracted to the scene and Seedorf. Seedorf who was injured in the process, called his gang who invaded the town, attacked some residents by inflicting cutlass wounds on them, and destroyed properties.

The chief of the community, Nana Bogya Kwaw I, blamed his own people for the unfortunate incident, claiming the residents rather created a barrier just to deny Seedorf access upon seeing him enter the shop of the mobile money merchant.

“This led to a fight and they inflicted machete wounds on Seedorf who later called his friends to come and save him.

He is currently receiving treatment at the Tarkwa government hospital. I had to intervene to save the situation from getting out of hand,” Nana Kwaw said.

One of the victims who spoke on condition of anonymity said “I was watching a movie together with a friend in my room when two macho men pounds on us and started inflicting machete wounds on my hand”.

The Assemblyman for Nsadweso, Richard Agyapong, told Connect FM Monday that some of the indigenes who fled the community during the fight last Thursday are yet to return home, and called for immediate intervention by government.

He blamed the government and the MP for the area for doing little to save the situation and arrest the perpetrators, adding “We will vote against them should they fail to address the matter”.

The tension According to the residents, Nana Kwaw started operating a small scale mine in the community about three months ago.

Connect FM sources say the chief has been fighting with the people over the disputed galamsey site following which the chief engaged the services of the macho men to protect his interest at the site.

According to the residents, a mining company operating in the area, Golden Star Resources, also employs few indigenes as casual workers, and that the company has also engaged military personnel and macho men to protect its concession.

Some of the residents are therefore said to have gone for spiritual fortification to protect themselves from the macho men.