A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Alhassan Malaika Jibril, who is alleged to have led the controversial demolition exercise at the Accra Race Course in Borteyman on Saturday, August 22, 2026, has been interdicted by the Ghana Police Service.
The interdiction, announced in a statement posted by the Police on Facebook on Wednesday, is to facilitate investigations into the incident.
“The Police Administration has interdicted DSP/Mr. Alhassan Malaika Jibril for his involvement in a demolition exercise at the Accra Race Course at Borteyman on Saturday, 22nd August 2026,” the statement said.
“The interdiction is to facilitate investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Related Article: Accra Turf Club cries for help after Race Course ‘takeover’
The Police said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) were investigating the matter.
It added that any person found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Background
The interdiction of DSP Alhassan Malaika Jibril follows a dispute over the ownership, occupation and control of the Accra Race Course at Borteyman, which the Accra Turf Club says has been its established home since it was relocated from the former Race Course site in central Accra.
According to the Accra Turf Club, the incident occurred on Saturday, August 22, 2026, when about 200 armed men allegedly entered the Borteyman facility accompanied by police officers and heavy-duty equipment.
The Club says the group arrived with nine bulldozers and an excavator and proceeded to demolish facilities across the property.
The Club alleges that approximately 100 horse stables, buildings, racing facilities, vegetation and utility infrastructure were destroyed. It also claims that horses were forcibly removed from their stables and jockeys were ejected from their residential facilities.
A key aspect of the controversy is the land dispute. The Accra Turf Club says its occupation of the Borteyman site dates to an agreement with the Government of Ghana in 2006, following the relocation of the old Accra Race Course.
The Club also cites a March 8, 2005 High Court order that permitted the Lands Commission to enter and demarcate 46.64 hectares for the Club.
The original Accra Race Course was located at what is now a highly developed area of central Accra, around sites including the National Security Secretariat, Accra International Conference Centre and Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City.
The relocation to Borteyman was linked to redevelopment of the former site.
The Turf Club says that during the August 22 operation, individuals identified as Clement Dzato and another person referred to as Azuma led the group that entered the property.
It further alleged that DSP Malaika was commanding the police officers accompanying the group. The Club claims that when questioned, those involved indicated that they had documentation establishing their right to the land, but that no court order or other document authorising the demolition was produced to the Club.
The Club subsequently appealed to President John Dramani Mahama, the Interior Minister, the Lands Minister, the Attorney-General, the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Coordinator to intervene.
It is demanding that the alleged land grabbers be removed, that it be restored to possession of the property, and that the circumstances surrounding the demolition be investigated.
The dispute has also attracted attention because of the historical importance of horse racing in Ghana. The Accra Turf Club was established in 1923, while organised horse racing in Accra dates back to the late 19th century. The Club says the sport and related activities provide livelihoods for thousands of people in the equestrian sector.
It is against this backdrop that, the Ghana Police Service has interdicted DSP Alhassan Malaika Jibril.
