VIDEO: Eight suspects grabbed in the killing of a queen mother at Abamba in Atebubu area
The police have made a major breakthrough in finding the killers of the queen mother of Abamba in the Amantin Traditional Area in the Bono East Region with the arrest of a chief and seven others in connection with the incident.
Three out of seven other persons (three later died of gunshot injuries) have also been arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing of two persons at the GB Oil Filling Station near Atebubu.
The suspects grabbed for the killing of the queen mother, Nana Serwaa Gyan Kuma, are the Chief of Akokua, Nana Owusu Sahkofi II, 56, known in private life as Charles Kofi Owusu), who allegedly contracted the others to carry out the murder.
Eight suspects have been arrested by the police.
The killing occurred in February 2026.
Those arrested include a chief and seven others.
This was made known at a press briefing at Atebubu on Friday afternoon by the Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno.
Six other persons have also been arrested for the killing of two persons at the GB Filling Station in the area.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, in the company of some high-ranking police officials, announced the breakthrough at a press conference in Atebubu yesterday.
In both cases, the IGP said, the key suspects had confessed to the crime.
Suspects
The other suspects are Nana Yaw Bediako aka Nana Yaw, who confessed to taking part in the murder; Abdul-Razak Ibrahim Langa aka Zak, who was present at the scene; the Abakomanhene of Akokua, Emmanuel Agyemamg Darko, and a driver, Bukari Amandu.
Exhibits retrieved from the suspects
The rest are suspects Michael Owusu (Spermi), Rafiu Haruna and Muphtawu Adamu, who were earlier arrested and arraigned before the Techiman District Court.
Those arrested in connection with the robbery and killing at the GB Oil Filling Station are Adam Adamu, 27; Sule Amandu Sobah, 22, and Abdulai Ali, 45, who are in custody.
Abdul Razak Osman aka Alhaji Gao, Nuhu Awudu and Dauda Issah all died from gunshot wounds in the course of the arrest operation, the police said.
Two female suspects who are nursing mothers have been granted police enquiry bail.
The queen mother, who operated a restaurant, Ohema's Kitchen, was killed at her residence at Atebubu on February 25, 2026 while the fatal shooting at the GB Filling Station occured on May 2, 2026.
IGP
"Through other cogent evidence available to the police, we have been able to link the suspects to the crime,” the IGP said.
"In both cases, as soon as the incidents were reported to me, I deployed intelligence officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate, the Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team and officers from the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit to support the regional command on a manhunt for the perpetrators," Mr Yohuno said.
"Team, under my strategic guidance, followed a lot of leads and arrested some persons in connection with both cases," the IGP pointed out.
Kasoa
Mr Yohuno said in the case of the queen mother, the breakthrough was linked to some arrests at Kasoa in connection with a robbery.
He explained that following intensive interrogation, one of the suspects, Abdul-Razak Ibrahim Langa, informed police that he knew about the murder case.
"He also indicated to the police that the ghost of the queen mother had been tormenting him and as such he wanted to confess everything," he said.
Upon interrogation, Langa said suspect Nana Yaw Bediako, identified as the person who shot the queen mother, confessed to the crime and mentioned Nana Sahkofi, as the one who contracted them to kill her with a promise to pay them GH¢50,000.
Filling station incident
In the case of the filling station incident, the IGP said the main suspect in the case, Razak Osman aka Alhaji (now deceased), a filling station operator, had contracted one of his gangs, the Nuhu Gang, to rob and murder the owner of the GB filling station.
Earlier, Mr Yohuno paid a courtesy call on the chiefs at the Atebubu Traditional Council, to assure them of the resolve of the police to deal with criminal activities in the area.
He said he and his team were committed to sustain the gains made in fighting crime.
Regional commander
Throwing further light on the arrests, the Bono East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Shaibu Abubakar Sadique-Osei, said the queen mother, accompanied by one of her workers, were shot by two armed men multiple times when they alighted from her vehicle at her residence.
He said no valuables were taken from her.
DCOP Shaibu Osei alleged that the contract between Nana Bediako and Nana Sahkofi was communicated through an intermediary identified as Bossu, currently serving a prison sentence at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison.
"Suspect (Nana Bediako) stated that after carrying out the murder, he paid him only GH¢40,000, leaving a balance of GH¢10,000 unpaid,” the police said.
The Regional Commander said Nana Yaw Bediako’s also told the police that his repeated demands for the balance was met with threats from the chief, as a result he decided not to return the pistol procured for the killing.
The Regional Commander said acting on intelligence on May 19, 2026, a police team, together with Nana Bediako proceeded to Fawoade, near Mamponteng, where Nana Sahkofi was arrested at his residence.
"In an attempt to prevent his arrest, suspect Nana Owusu Sahkofi II offered the arresting team an amount of GH¢200,000 and made an immediate payment of GH¢100,000. The money has been retained as exhibit.
"A forensic examination of the suspect's phone established that Nana Sahkofi II and suspect Nana Yaw Bediako had been in constant communication using a Telecel SIM card procured specifically for the purpose of committing the crime,” DCOP Osei said.
The Bono East Regional Police Commander said all records revealed communication between the two suspects both before and after the murder of the queen mother.
Requests
DCOP Osei said the police last Thursday secured the release of Isaahaku Alhassan to assist in investigation.
Upon interrogation, he said the suspect admitted the offences of conspiracy to commit crime and stated that he was contracted by Nana Sahkofi to get him someone to murder the queen mother "due to the fact that he was blocking him from selling Abamba lands and also prevented him from enstooling a new chief of his choice at Abamba".
Chiefs
The President of the Bono East Region House of Chiefs, Nana Owusu Sakyi, expressed the hope that the arrests would be a lesson to others in the area.
There was heavy police presence at both the Atebubu Traditional Council and at the venue of the press conference, where the some of the suspects, in handcuffs and exhibits including guns and cash, were put on display.
Huge crowds of residents lined the streets of Abamba and Atebubu to catch a glimpse of the suspects.
