IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno
The Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has issued a stern warning to criminals across the country following a major breakthrough in the murder investigation of Nana Serwaa Gyan Kuma, Queenmother of Abamba, in the Bono East Region.
Addressing a press briefing at Atebubu, the IGP declared that the Ghana Police Service would continue intensifying intelligence-led operations to track down violent criminals and criminal syndicates operating across the country.
“I cannot sit down without sending a word of caution to the criminals out there; watch out, you are the next in line, we are coming for you,” Mr. Yohuno warned.
The warning came after police announced the arrest of eight suspects, including a chief, in connection with the February 25, 2026 murder of Nana Serwaa Gyan Kuma, Queenmother of Abamba in the Amantin Traditional Area.
According to police investigators, the key suspect, Nana Yaw Bediako, also known as Nana Yaw, confessed to shooting the Queenmother multiple times after allegedly being contracted to carry out the assassination for GH¢50,000.
Police further identified Nana Owusu Sahkofi II, privately known as Charles Kofi Owusu, Chief of Akokoa, as the alleged mastermind behind the killing. Investigators say the suspect allegedly promised GH¢50,000 to the gunmen to execute the murder.
The queenmother, who operated a restaurant known as Ohemaa’s Kitchen in Atebubu, was reportedly ambushed and shot several times shortly after returning home from work. Police noted that no valuables were taken from the scene, strengthening suspicions that the attack was a targeted assassination.
A major breakthrough in the case occurred after the Central East Regional Police Command arrested two suspects in Kasoa over a separate robbery-related operation. During interrogation, suspect Abdul-Razak Ibrahim Langa alias Zack, reportedly confessed knowledge of the murder and claimed he had been “haunted” by the queenmother’s ghost, prompting him to reveal details of the crime to investigators.
Police say Nana Yaw Bediako later admitted firing the fatal shots and disclosed that he had received GH¢40,000 after the murder, leaving an unpaid balance of GH¢10,000.
Further investigations linked convicted prisoner Isahaku Alhassan, also known as Sule Yangani, currently in custody at the Sunyani Central Prison pending appeal, to the murder plot. Police say he confessed that the queenmother was targeted because she allegedly opposed land sales and attempts to install a chief favoured by the Akokoa Chief.
The Police Service also disclosed that forensic examinations established communication between the alleged mastermind and the gunman using a specially procured SIM card before and after the murder.
Police further alleged that when officers moved to arrest Nana Owusu Sahkofi II near Mamponteng in the Ashanti Region, he attempted to bribe the arresting team with GH¢200,000 and immediately paid GH¢100,000, which investigators retained as evidence.
Additional suspects arrested in connection with the case include Emmanuel Agyemang Darko, the Abakomanhene of Akokoa, and Bukari Amadu, a driver believed to have assisted some of the suspects before the killing.
The successful arrests have triggered widespread praise from residents and many Ghanaians, who have commended the professionalism, intelligence gathering, and coordinated operations led by the IGP and the Ghana Police Service in unraveling the high-profile murder case.
Mr. Yohuno assured the public that all suspects connected to the murder would face the full rigours of the law, and reaffirmed the Police Service’s commitment to sustaining the fight against violent crime across the country.
A Daily Guide Report