The Ghana Police Service says it has uncovered what investigators describe as a carefully coordinated murder-for-hire operation behind the killing of Abamba Queenmother, Nana Serwaa Gyan Kuma, following months of intelligence-led investigations.
Addressing the media, Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno announced a major breakthrough in the high-profile murder case, revealing that several suspects — including a traditional ruler and a convicted prison inmate — have been linked to the alleged assassination plot.
According to police, the Queenmother was shot dead on February 25, 2026, shortly after returning home to her residence in Atebubu in the Bono East Region.
Investigators say the attack was premeditated and executed by armed assailants who allegedly followed and ambushed her before opening fire as she alighted from her vehicle.
The police chief disclosed that investigations intensified after suspects arrested in Kasoa over an unrelated robbery plot allegedly provided information connecting them to the Queenmother’s killing.
One suspect, identified as Abdul Razak Ibrahim Langa, alias Zak, reportedly confessed during interrogation that he witnessed the shooting and later decided to cooperate with investigators.
Further questioning allegedly led police to identify Nana Yaw Bediako, also known as Nana Yaw, as the alleged gunman.
Police say Nana Yaw subsequently implicated Nana Owusu Sankofi II, also known as Charles Kofi Owusu, accusing him of allegedly contracting the killing for GH¢50,000.
Investigators also linked convicted inmate Ishaku Alhassan, alias Sule Yagani, currently serving a sentence at Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, to the alleged plot as an intermediary.
Additional suspects arrested include Raymond Agyemang Darko, identified as the Abakomahene of Akokoa, and a driver named Bukari Amadu.
The Bono East Regional Police Command confirmed that five principal suspects are currently in custody assisting investigations, while three others have already been arraigned before the Techiman District Court and remanded.
Police investigations suggest the killing may have been connected to disputes involving land and traditional leadership in Abamba.
Authorities also disclosed that forensic analysis of mobile phones uncovered alleged communication between suspects before and after the murder, including the use of a SIM card allegedly procured specifically for the operation.
Investigators say funds connected to the operation were transferred through mobile money transactions, with about GH¢21,000 allegedly used to purchase a pistol and ammunition.
On May 19, police escorted suspects back to Atebubu for a reconstruction of the crime scene, where investigators say the suspects demonstrated how the attack was planned and executed before fleeing to a nearby hotel and later escaping to Accra.
In another dramatic development, police alleged that the chief of Akokoa attempted to bribe officers with GH¢200,000 during his arrest in a bid to avoid detention, including an initial payment of GH¢100,000 which investigators say has been retained as evidence.
The IGP stressed that intelligence-led operations in Atebubu and surrounding areas would continue as police intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks and restore public confidence in security within the region.
