News
‘Machomen’ attack Queen mother?
Some “machomen” caused a stir when they attacked the queen mother of Adum-Afrancho in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of Ashanti Region and disrupted the celebration of her 94th birthday.
The men, allegedly stormed the palace, vandalised the main gate and charged into the bedroom of the queen mother and manhandled her after they had assaulted some of the people around.It all happened on Sunday, September 6, 2020 when the queen mother was getting ready to celebrate her birthday which coincided with the celebration of the Akwasidae, of the Asante kingdom.
Surprisingly, the ‘machomen’ were said to have capped their hostility by consuming the queen mother’s drinks for the celebration, and also made away with a sheep meant for sacrifice during the Akwasidae celebration.
Unit Committee Chairman for the area, Nana Sarfo Adjei Kantanka, confirmed the incident, saying the attacked persons were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
At a press conference held on Monday, September 7, 2020, the Unit Committee Chairman accused the chief of the community, Nana Osei Yaw, for being behind the attacks and said the residents since the incident were living in fear.
He, therefore, appealed to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intercede to ensure that the lives of the inhabitants were protected.“What I can say is that President Akufo-Addo, we are pleading with you to come and help us. We are also pleading with Otumfuo, this is his father’s town, he should come to our aid.
I can’t sleep at home, because this guy rolls with ‘machomen’, he can come at any time,” he said.But, the chief of the town, denied ever hiring ‘machomen’ to cause any mayhem in the town.
He explained that as a result of some chieftaincy dispute in the area, he had sent a letter to the Trede Police, two weeks earlier, informing them of the celebration of the Akwasidae.Nana Osei Yaw, indicated that the queen mother had no right to celebrate the Akwasidae once he is the chief who is supposed to organise it.
He mentioned that the Trede Police contacted him of an earlier letter from one Yaw Antwi, son of Nana Yaa Agyeiwaa, in view of the Akwasidae and birthday celebration of the queen mother, claiming that there was no chief in the town.
As part of the celebration, the chief said, Yaw Antwi had organised a military band to grace the occasion that Sunday. According to the chief, the police realised, following a preliminary investigation, that Yaw Antwi was trying to foment trouble, and as such, was arrested and detained at the police station on Saturday.
The chief said that on Sunday, he, together with some of his subjects, were given an escort by the police from Trede to the palace and that “I did not go there with any machomen.”He added that the police were there to the end of the Akwasidae and no one touched the old woman, whom he said was even, not the queen mother, but her daughter, Nana Ataa Agyeiwaa.According to Nana Yaw Osei, he could not even slaughter the sheep for the Akwasidae rituals as the stool and other materials were nowhere to be found and as such he had reported a case of missing stools to the police.
He said no one consumed the drinks or took away the sheep of the old lady but “I rather handed over my sheep to the family because I could not use it for the rituals.”
From Kingsley E.Hope, Kumasi
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
