A notorious Dodowa land guard wanted in connection with at least four brutal assaults with a machete and a pump action shot gun was nabbed by soldiers this week after allegedly subjecting a landowner to a three-hour torture and stealing stone chippings worth more than GH¢1000. Justice Issaka, who has also been linked to the murder of a developer, is said to have ‘terrorised’ the mountain town for four years, attacking land owners and demolishing their buildings in an attempt to assert Ningo claims on Shai land. Issaka was finally caged after a 5:00am raid by soldiers from the Shai Hills Military Base. Local soldiers got involved after Issaka allegedly stole GH¢1100 worth of stone chippings from the land of a lieutenant from the base. Led by recent victim Charles Essel, the four armed military personnel stormed the home of the settler Chief, Teiko Kpataku IV at the village of Sota on Monday and captured Issaka. In the dock on Wednesday, Issaka, who denied stealing the building materials, showed Judge Yaw Twumasi Ankrah the ligature marks on his hands and the bruises on his face, and claimed that he had been hog tied, attached to the bumper of a car and dragged several metres. But Judge Ankrah responded: “Then they didn’t beat you hard enough.” Issaka was remanded into custody. When Charles Essel, 30, bought an acre of land from Stephen ‘Paa Red’ Nartey a year and a half ago, he was handed the land title. However, when he attempted to visit his plot of land last Sunday, he was met by Justice Issaka and his gang of three land guards. “Justice claimed ownership of the land; he said it was not Shai land,” Essel recounted. “He loaded eight rounds into a compaction gun and gave it to his co-sheriff. Justice was using a five-round pistol fully loaded. They started beating me with the gun, under no provocation. They were demanding GH¢300 before I left the place.” Issaka and his gang, he claimed, beat him for three hours on Sunday afternoon. “They searched my bag and pocket, but I only had coins, which provoked them the more. They were constantly beating me – they’d beat me, fire a warning shot, and then come back for more,” Essel added. “I told them that if they had a problem they should go to Nartey, who was around [town],” Essel said. Despite Essel’s pleas his attackers refused to confront Nartey. The assault ceased when a friend came to Essel’s rescue, buying off the land guards with GH¢50. Essel filed a complaint of assault with the Dodowa Police on Monday and the case is currently under investigation, and would be added to the pending caseloads against Issaka in two weeks time. Issaka’s three accomplices, known as Sheriff, Dogo and Wombo’s son, are currently on the run. “This is a terrible thing which has happened – I want to send the guy straight to jail,” Essel indicated, adding “Justice has been terrorizing [the town] for a long time.” “He was hired by the Chief of the Ningo settlers, and he’s been a professional land guard for four years. “He calls himself the second John Garang of Sudan,” said Essel. “He lives in the bush, everyone knows his location – he’s in town and he passes in front of the police every day.” Stephen ‘Paa Red’ Nartey, 64, a representative of the Weredekum-Dodowa Chief said: “Any time we [Shais] go to our land, he and his men terrorise us. Any time we sell the land, Ningos go in to harass the buyers, led by Justice.” Following a war on their home turf during the 19th Century, the Ningos were allowed to settle freely on Shai land, with the understanding that they would go home when peace returned. Ningo settlers are now making claims to the land. In a court suit disputing the Ningos’ claims, the Shai Chief stated: “We will not want our legacy bequeathed to us by our fathers to be robbed from us because of our kindness.” Issaka is neither Shai nor Ningo, and moved to the Dodowa area four years ago with his family. Essel’s lawyer, K. Andy Vortia, approached the Daily Guide Wednesday morning regarding the case. As a former police officer, Vortia was well aware of the land guard issue. “In Accra, there are land guard operations in the Police Service, which has fully stopped the issue [in the Accra area],” he stated. “We hope anyone else who has been victimized by Issaka will come forward now that he has been captured,” Vortia appealed. It is recommended that anyone who has been threatened by land guards, or is involved in property disputes should report to the Land and Property Fraud Unit of the Police Criminal Investigations Department. Prosper Amewode, 36, an assistant surveyor working for the Shai Chief, said he had also been attacked by Issaka. “On 7th March, 2007, I went into the bush with government surveyors. He came with a pump action shot gun and shot at a government surveyor. Nobody was hurt by the bullet. “We went to the police, he was arrested, and we went to court that same month.” “Issaka then skipped bail. The police were looking for him for a long time, there has been a bench warrant issued against him for a year.” Issaka is also being investigated in connection with a string of violent crimes, including the murder of a man from Nima, Accra, who bought land in Dodowa. The man, known only as Foster, was shot dead in January while visiting his building site. Issaka was also implicated in the April, 2007 butchering of a man known as Abrantie at Wedokum-Dodowa. Despite investigations into the alleged assault, Issaka was set free without charges. This year, Issaka has been linked to a shooting incident in February, for which he was released without charge. A month later, Issaka allegedly shot and wounded Prosper Amewode. The case is still pending at the Dodowa District Court with a scheduled appearance date of 10 July, 2008. Officers at the Dodowa Police Station declined to comment on any of the ongoing investigations, but prosecutor Chief Inspector Dake called him ‘an artful dodger’. When approached by the Daily Guide at the Dodowa Police station, Issaka declined to comment. Source: Daily Guide