The once revered ex-Queenmother of Mankessim, Nana Ama Amissah III, now finds herself entangled in a web of legal proceedings, facing committal proceedings alongside four others for their alleged involvement in the murder of Samuel Ampofo, the Mankessim Municipal Director of the National Investigations Bureau, and Kofi Yamoah. The tragic incident, stemming from a heated chieftaincy dispute, occurred in 2019 during the installation ceremony of a new Queenmother and left a community scarred by violence and loss. The prosecution alleges that Nana Amissah III orchestrated the events leading to the double homicide, chairing a meeting where the accused allegedly plotted the disruption that culminated in the fatal shootings.
The charges against the six accused, including a Ghana Fire Service officer, mark a significant development in the protracted investigation into the 2019 murders. Initially, thirteen individuals were apprehended in connection with the violence and killings. However, after meticulous scrutiny by the Attorney General’s office, charges were filed against only six, who now await their appearance before the Weija-Gbawe Magistrate Court. This legal action comes six years after the incident, underscoring the dedication of the Cold Case Unit of the Ghana Police Service in pursuing justice for the victims. Among those charged are James Kofi Obosu, alias Nana Obosu Amissah, identified as the gunman; Nana Ama Amissah III; Joseph Kobina Ansah, also known as Nana Okutseku; Robert Gardiner; John Eric Kofi Turkson, alias Nana Edu; and Clement Kwesi Owusu.
The backdrop to this tragic event lies in a deeply entrenched chieftaincy conflict between the Paakesedo Nsona and Edu Nsona royal families. The installation ceremony of Nana Araba Otua I as the new Queenmother on December 7, 2019, became the flashpoint for long-simmering tensions. This installation followed a Cape Coast High Court ruling which invalidated the gazetting of Nana Osagyefo Amanfo Edu VI and Nana Ama Amissah III, based on a legal challenge by the Paakesedo Nsona Family questioning their legitimacy. The court’s decision fueled the existing animosity and set the stage for the violent confrontation that claimed the lives of two innocent individuals and injured several others, including a Police Chief Inspector.
As the festive procession celebrating the new Queenmother moved through the streets of Mankessim, gunfire erupted near the Edu Nsona Royal family house, plunging the joyous occasion into chaos and tragedy. Eyewitness accounts revealed that the violence was instigated by Nana Obosu Amissah, armed with a pump-action gun, accompanied by Clement Owusu and Nana Edu. When confronted and urged to disarm, Nana Obosu tragically shot and killed Samuel Ampofo, the NIB Director, who had attempted to intervene. This act of violence triggered an enraged response from the crowd, who pursued and attempted to lynch Nana Obosu before police intervention restored order. Subsequent investigations confirmed that both Samuel Ampofo and Kofi Yamoah died from gunshot wounds, and ballistic analysis linked the pellets retrieved from their bodies to a pump-action or single-barrelled gun.
A meticulous investigation conducted by a seven-member team from the Cold Case Unit of the Ghana Police Service unravelled the complex web of events leading to the tragic deaths. Through painstaking analysis of WhatsApp chats, audio recordings, and witness interviews, the investigators uncovered a plot to disrupt the Queenmother’s installation ceremony. The investigation revealed that the accused, including the ex-Queenmother, allegedly sought to prevent the installation through various means, including attempts to leverage the police and the Municipal Security Council. When these efforts proved futile, a plan allegedly emerged to hire individuals from Kumasi to disrupt the proceedings.
According to sources within the Attorney General’s office, Nana Obosu is alleged to have contracted a group of individuals for GH¢10,000.00 to sow chaos during the installation ceremony. These individuals were allegedly armed with guns and machetes before being positioned at the Edu Nsona Royal family house, where the fatal shootings took place. The comprehensive police investigation, combined with the evidence gathered, paints a grim picture of pre-meditated violence and highlights the devastating consequences of unresolved chieftaincy disputes. The upcoming committal proceedings will determine whether the evidence warrants a full trial for the six accused, potentially bringing a measure of closure to the families of Samuel Ampofo and Kofi Yamoah and the community of Mankessim, still grappling with the aftermath of this tragic incident.
