Nkawkaw, Dec 07, GNA - Farmers in eight communities in the Fanteakwa District have appealed to the President and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to protect them from assault, harassment and intimidation by one Major Kilson, a retired army officer, and his gang. The communities are Miaso No. 1, Gyeeduako, Osuaban, Agyenna, Aburaso, Aboabo, Asrebosu, Aniawa and Krobo Nyadei.

Mr Yakubu Mustapher Kissi and Mr Ebenezer Oduro, both farmers at Asrebosu, signed the petition on behalf of over 2,000 farmers and sent copies to the IGP, the Attorney General's Department (AGD) and the Eastern Regional Police Command.

It said since 1977, Major Kilson (Rtd) and his gang of 24 men armed with guns, clubs and cutlasses have been terrorizing farmers and looting their personal effects as well as cocoa, foodstuffs and oil palms. The petition expressed regret that despite complaints made to the police at Asrebuso, Begoro, Kwahu Tafo and Koforidua and the AGD in Accra, nothing had been done.

The petition said a number of farmers have lost their lives, some are paralysed and others have gone blind due to the inhuman treatment of the said Major Kilson and his gang. Mr Kissi alleged that on November 3, some armed soldiers assaulted one Mr Tetteh Kuper, a farmer at Osuaban, near Miaso, at the Miaso market.

The soldiers took away his 25 million cedis and sent him to his village where they allegedly destroyed 9 drums of palm wine being distilled into akpeteshie (local gin). He said a report was made to the police at Begoro but no arrest had been made so far.

Mr Kissi said Major Kilson claimed that the vast land in the area belongs to him and demanded that those who could not pay royalty or render accounts of their stewardship to him should quit. When the Eastern Regional Police Crime Officer, Mr Paul Eklu, was contacted on telephone, he said he was a new person in the region and would investigate the petition after receiving it.