The Nungua Stool has condemned the unlawful invasion and occupation of its ancestral lands at Nmai Djor by Trasacco and the Okpelor Sowah Din Family of Teshie.
The stool claims that the family, backed by armed land guards and National Security personnel, is illegally developing the land, despite pending court cases.
A violent shooting incident on January 10, 2026, has heightened tensions, with the Nungua Stool expressing deep concern over alleged involvement of political actors in the unlawful activities. The stool cites multiple Supreme Court judgments, including Empire Builders Ltd vs. Topkins Enterprises Ltd & Others (2020) and Nii Daniel Marley Nai vs. Katamanso Stool & The Lands Commission (2023), which affirm the Nungua Stool’s ownership of the Nmai Djor lands.
The Okpelor Sowah Din Family has been warned to cease activities on the land, with the Nungua Stool threatening to pursue contempt of court charges. The stool has also appealed to security agencies to intervene and restore order.
Would you like to know more about the Supreme Court judgments or the history behind the Nmai Djor land dispute?
Below is full statement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ILLEGAL INVASION OF NMAI DJOR LANDS: NUNGUA STOOL CONDEMNS UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIRE ARMS,ENCROACHMENT, SHOOTING INCIDENT, AND DEFIANCE OF COURT PROCESS
1. The Nungua Stool has taken serious note of the unlawful invasion and forceful occupation of its ancestral lands at Nmai Djor by Trasacco and the Okpelor Sowah Din Family of Teshie, who are presently deploying armed land guards and National Security personnel to illegally develop the land.
2. This reckless conduct resulted in a violent shooting incident on Saturday the 10th day of January 2026, which endangered lives and severely threatened public peace and security in the area. The Nungua Stool condemns this incident in the strongest terms and expresses deep concern over credible reports suggesting the involvement and protection of certain political actors, who appear to be emboldening these unlawful acts in open defiance of existing court processes.
3. The situation is volatile, dangerous, and wholly unacceptable in a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law.
4. The Nungua Stool hereby reiterates,for the avoidance of doubt that,there is a pending stay of execution and appeal against the parties in the In re Ashalley Botwe case(suit no:L/2970/1993) and other multiple legal suits by grantees of the Nungua stool against the Okpelor Sowah Din family. The stool wants it known to state agencies and political actors to allow legalities to take it course.
5. Any entry upon, development of, sale of, or interference with the land while this matter is before the court is a clear affront to judicial authority and constitute CONTEMPT OF COURT, for which the law prescribes serious sanctions.
6. The continued activities of Trasacco and the Okpelor Sowah Din Family on the land, despite full knowledge of the pending proceedings, represent a deliberate attempt to overreach the court and undermine the administration of justice.
7. This press release is necessitated by the persistent false claims, encroachments, and illegal sales of parcels of land within the territory of the Nungua Stool by the Okpelor Sowah Din Family of Teshie, who trace their root of title to the Nuumo Nmashie Family of Teshie. The Nungua Stool is compelled to set the record straight by referencing conclusive and binding judgments of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
8. SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT: EMPIRE BUILDERS LTD VS. TOPKINS ENTERPRISES LTD & OTHERS (2020)
* Case: Civil Appeal No. 14/10/2019, Judgment delivered on 16th December 2020.
* Significance: This landmark judgment directly determined the ownership of a vast tract of land, including the 456-acre subject of that suit and the larger Nmai Djor area.
* The Supreme Court’s Finding: The Court conclusively affirmed that the land in dispute belongs to the Nungua Stool and not to any Teshie family. The Court upheld the findings of the lower courts that the Nungua Stool is the allodial owner.
* This judgment is a direct repudiation of claims by Teshie families, including the Nuumo Nmashie Family (the root of the Okpelor Sowah Din Family), to land in this geographical area. It establishes the Nungua Stool’s paramount title over the area.
9. SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT: NII DANIEL MARLEY NAI VS. KATAMANSO STOOL & THE LANDS COMMISSION (2023)
* Case: Civil Appeal No. J4/13/2023, Judgment delivered on 14th June 2023.
* Significance: This judgment reaffirmed the ancient and historical boundaries of the Nungua Stool Lands as established in the colonial era.
* The Court expressly affirmed and relied on the 1892 judgment of Chief Justice Hutchinson of the Gold Coast Supreme Court. That 1892 ruling definitively reinforces the centuries-old ownership of the Nungua Stool over its territories, leaving no room for doubt.
10. THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN NUNGUA AND TESHIE:
* Yehans International Ltd vs. Martey Tsuru Family & Another (J4/34/2018) [2018] GHASC and in the case of Benjamin Mensa Otinkorang vs. Afotey Adjin (Suit No. IRL 218/10, 31st March 2014)**, made a crucial finding of fact.
* The Court’s Finding: The judgment indicates that Teshie lands are known to end around the Baatsonaa area near the Accra-Tema railway line. Also, the court held that the Sango Lagoon(Sangonaa) is the clear and historically recognized dividing line between Teshie and Nungua. Nmai dzor is significantly distant from this point, further corroborating geographical and judicial demarcation, Nmai Dzor cannot and does not fall within the ancestral lands of Teshie It is deep within Nungua territory.
11. FINAL JUDICIAL REBUKE OF THE NUUMO NMASHIE FAMILY’S EXPANSIVE CLAIMS
* Case: Boi Stool & Others vs. Daniel Addoquaye & Others (Civil Appeal No. 34/13/2020, Judgment on 22nd March 2023).
* This Supreme Court judgment specifically addressed and set aside a previous Court of Appeal ruling that the Nuumo Nmashie Family of Teshie had used to claim ownership of up to 72,000 ac70 villages.
* Direct Link: The Okpelor Sowah Din Family derives its alleged title from the Nuumo Nmashie Family. The Supreme Court’s nullification of the foundational judgment used by the Nuumo Nmashie Family to claim vast territories severely undermines and invalidates any derivative claim by the Okpelor Sowah Din Family to lands deep within Nungua, such as Nmai Dzor.
12. CONCLUSION AND FINAL WARNING:
The collective weight of these Supreme Court and High Court judgments leaves no legal or factual basis for the Okpelor Sowah Din Family of Teshie to claim, sell, or allocate any land Nmai Dzor Their claims are spurious, historically inaccurate, and judicially repudiated.
13. To the General Public and Prospective Land Buyers: Exercise extreme caution. Any document purporting to originate from the Okpelor Sowah Din Family in respect of Nmai Dzor lands is worthless and will lead to costly litigation and loss of your investment. The only valid title emanates from the Nungua Stool.
14. To the Okpelor Sowah Din Family: This press release serves as a final notice to cease and desist all unlawful activities on Nungua Stool lands. The Nungua Stool will not hesitate to pursue the full rigours of the law, including criminal prosecution for fraud and contempt of court, to protect its property.
15. In view of the shooting incident, the presence of armed land guards, and the rising tension in the area, the Nungua Stool calls on all security agencies, particularly the Ghana Police Service, National Security, and REGSEC, to immediately intervene to restore law and order at Nmai Djor and maintain peace until the matter is finally determined by the courts.
16. Land disputes must be resolved through lawful adjudication not through force, intimidation, or political influence.
17. The Nungua Stool remains committed to peace, lawful development, and the supremacy of the rule of law and will pursue all appropriate legal remedies to protect its lands and the safety of its people.
Signed,
THE NUNGUA STOOL
January 12, 2026
