The family of the late Apostle Emeritus Prof. Ing. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka has formally rejected the purported installation and leadership claims of his son, Israel Nana Kwadwo Safo, popularly known as Akofena, as the head of the Kristo Asafo Mission. In an official statement issued on Monday, the family declared that it does not recognize any such assumption of leadership, describing the development as a direct violation of the final directives and explicit wishes left behind by the late religious leader and inventor.
The high-stakes succession dispute boiled over into violence on Sunday, June 21, 2026, culminating in a shocking shooting incident at Kwabenya that left former Gender Minister and Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, injured. According to the family, the incident occurred when Adwoa Safo personally attempted to serve court injunction documents on her younger brother to halt a private installation ceremony organized by him and a faction of church elders.
The family alleges that Israel Safo discharged a firearm multiple times in her direction and instructed his associates at the scene to open fire on her vehicle. Law enforcement authorities have since arrested several private security personnel connected to the assault, and the family confirmed that Adwoa Safo is currently in stable condition and responding positively to medical treatment.
Setting the record straight on the succession line, the family disclosed that although Israel Safo was initially designated as the successor in 2017, the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo officially revoked that authority in 2024. The reversal was reportedly prompted by a significant decline and near-collapse of several business entities under the Kristo Asafo conglomerate during his tenure, alongside unauthorized alterations to key principles of the mission.
Consequently, the late founder amended the church’s governing framework in 2024, removing Israel Safo from consideration and appointing his daughter, Sarah Adwoa Safo, as the legal Head of the Kwadwo Safo Family to execute a revised roadmap for the future leadership of the mission.
The legal dimensions of the crisis continue to intensify as two senior members of the Kristo Asafo Mission have filed a lawsuit at the Accra High Court challenging the legitimacy of the installation process. The plaintiffs argue that the 2024 constitutional amendments represent the final, binding wishes of the late patriarch and are seeking an order to perpetually restrain Israel Safo from holding himself out as the leader of the movement.
Completely dissociating itself from any actions taken by Israel Safo, the Kwadwo Safo family has urged members of the public and the church’s global congregation to ignore his leadership claims, remain calm, and allow state judicial and law enforcement institutions to fully resolve the unfolding corporate and criminal matter.
