The Abene Council of the Kwahu Traditional Area has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), calling for a full investigation into what it describes as an “unlawful, uncustomary and illegal” police operation carried out at the Kwahu Omanhene Palace on 17 November 2025.
In the petition signed by the wings and divisional chiefs of the Kwahu Traditional Area, the chiefs allege that more than 20 armed officers stormed the palace around 3:00am, fired live ammunition for over 30 minutes, assaulted palace staff, manhandled the Queenmother, and arrested several occupants without explanation.
Destoolment Dispute at the Centre of Tensions
The chiefs recount a long-running chieftaincy dispute involving the destoolment of Eugene Asante Boadi (Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II) on 19 October 2024, and the subsequent enstoolment of Baffour Akoto Osei as Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III on 25 January 2025.
They state that the new Omanhene was given full custody of the palace and its property, and therefore were shocked when he was informed at dawn on 17 November that police officers had raided the palace, arrested staff, and removed the number plate of the official palace vehicle which they allegedly drove to Accra.
Arrests Without Explanation
According to the petition, the Omanhene arrived at the palace around 7:00am to find one of his staff in handcuffs and a large police presence on the grounds. When he requested to see a warrant or any authorising document for the raid, officers allegedly refused to respond.
The chiefs state that Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III sat on the exit road to demand answers and insisted—based on his oath to defend Kwahuman—that he should be arrested and taken wherever his Queenmother and staff were being held. He was subsequently arrested along with his driver and another staff member and transported to Accra in handcuffs.
The petition stresses that none of the arrested persons were told the reason for their arrest at any point.
The chiefs say that when the Omanhene and Queenmother were brought to the Joint Operations Centre in Accra, a police officer informed them that the raid was based on a court order. However, the officer reportedly said he had no copy of the order, claiming the only copy was given to the team that carried out the dawn operation.
According to the petition, neither the Omanhene nor the Queenmother was shown any document, and no statements were taken before they were released around noon that same day.
Chiefs Cite Legal Violations Under Chieftaincy Act
The petition also details ongoing litigation before the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, where the destooled chief, Eugene Asante Boadi, is challenging his removal. The current chiefs argue that an interlocutory injunction issued by the Eastern Region House of Chiefs was automatically stayed the moment they filed an appeal at the National House of Chiefs — as required by Section 34(1) of the Chieftaincy Act.
They insist that no injunction is valid or enforceable until the appeal is determined, suggesting that the alleged “court order” invoked by police could not have been executable at the time of the raid.
Request for Immediate Access to Palace
The petition concludes by calling on the IGP to grant supervised access to the Omanhene, Queenmother and palace staff to retrieve personal belongings—including money, medication, clothing and vehicles—since they have been denied access since the raid.
Copies of the petition were also sent to top government officials, including the Chief of Staff, National Security Advisor, and the National House of Chiefs.
Source: metrotvonline.com
