Agona Abodom in the Central Region was thrown into chaos last Saturday when a violent attack left one man dead and several others injured in the wake of a protracted chieftaincy dispute.
The deceased, Charles Kojo Asomaning, a civilian employee of the Ghana Police Service Headquarters, and biological uncle to the legitimate chief, Nana Kwesi Asare (also known as Nana Segu), was allegedly butchered by thugs loyal to rival claimant Kwesi Gyan.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred on August 2, 2025, after the Judicial Committee of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional Council delivered a ruling in favour of two principal members of the Ebusuatsir Gate of the Asona Royal Family of Agona Abodom, in a case challenging the authority of certain family members to nominate and install traditional leaders.
In Suit No. 1/2024, Opanyin Kwame Nyarko and Obaapanyin Ekua Ampiaah, acting as plaintiffs, petitioned the council to declare that the first defendant, Opanyin Kwesi Prah, had no authority to nominate or install any person as chief or queen mother of the Abodom community.
The petition also sought to nullify the nomination of the fourth respondent, Frank Asiedu, as Odzekurow, and to impose a perpetual injunction restraining the first respondent from holding himself out as Ebusuatsir of the Asona Royal Family.
The petition, first filed on May 3, 2024, also requested an interlocutory injunction to prevent the respondents and their agents from presenting or outdooring the fourth respondent as a chief or Odzekurow of Agona Abodom.
Court records show that the respondents, represented by lawyer Ishmael Kofi Turkson, initially entered a conditional appearance on May 10, 2024.
The plaintiffs later withdrew and refiled their petition on September 2, 2024, after procedural challenges. Despite several attempts by the registrar to serve the respondents, they failed to file their defence within the stipulated time. This prompted the plaintiffs to apply for judgment in default of defence on June 2, 2025.
The respondents eventually filed an affidavit in opposition on June 18, 2025, sworn on behalf of the first, third, and fourth respondents by the second respondent. However, the council noted contradictions and inconsistencies in the respondents’ conduct, including an attempt to withdraw from the jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee.
The ruling, certified on July 31, 2025, grants the plaintiffs’ requests, effectively nullifying the disputed nominations and restraining the defendants from presenting or installing the fourth respondent or any other person as chief or Odzekurow of Agona Abodom.
The ruling ended years of litigation between Asare and Gyan, but tensions flared when supporters of the victor held a modest celebration at a private residence.
Reports indicate that the event was violently interrupted by a mob believed to have been mobilised by Kwesi Gyan, including hired Asafoatsemei from Weija in the Ga South Municipality, along with some Abodom community members.
Armed with machetes and other weapons, the group allegedly stormed the gathering, attacking guests, vandalising property, and causing mayhem.
Several of Nana Asare’s relatives sustained severe machete wounds. However, in a twist that has sparked outrage, many of the injured were arrested by police instead of receiving urgent medical attention. Nana Kwesi Asare himself was also detained at the James Town District Police Station in Accra.
Police sources say Asare has been charged under the Public Order Act for allegedly organising the gathering without notifying authorities. He was put behind bars together with other members of his family and expected to appear before the Achimota District Court in Accra.
Family members and sympathisers have condemned the police action, accusing the authorities of victimising the rightful chief while allowing the alleged attackers to walk free.
“This is injustice,” one relative fumed. “Nana won his case lawfully. We were attacked in cold blood, yet the victims are in cells while the perpetrators roam free.”
Tensions remain high in Agona Abodom, with residents demanding justice, the release of the detained victims, and the arrest of those behind the brutal attack.
The Ghana Police Service is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.