The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has ordered the immediate release of the Queen Mother of Kwahu, Nana Adwoa Gyamfua III, following a controversial dawn police operation that sparked tension across the Kwahu Traditional Area on Monday.
In a statement, the Ghana Police Service announced that the IGP has also tasked the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) with launching a full investigation into the incident. Any officers found to have acted improperly will face disciplinary action.
Security has been reinforced throughout the Kwahu area to maintain order.
The situation escalated after reports surfaced that the Queen Mother had been forcibly removed from her residence at Abene. The Paramount Chief of Kwahu, Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III, told Adom FM that armed officers stormed the palace around 4:30 a.m. on November 17, firing shots “indiscriminately” before taking the Queen Mother into custody.
However, the Kwahu Traditional Council strongly refuted claims of an abduction, calling the reports “entirely false.”
In a statement issued on Monday, the Council clarified that the Queen Mother was not taken by force and said the confusion arose from the enforcement of a court order.
According to the Council, the police acted on an interlocutory injunction issued by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs on 24 June 2024. The injunction, granted in favour of Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II, restrains Baffour Osei Akoto—who has been presenting himself as Kwahuhene—along with the Queen Mother and others, from interfering with Daasebre Agyapong II’s occupancy and duties at the Abene Palace.
The Council insisted the police operation was lawful but acknowledged that poor communication contributed to the heightened tension among residents.
The IGP’s directive to release the Queen Mother and initiate an internal inquiry is widely seen as a move to ease tensions and address public concerns about the officers’ conduct during the early-morning operation.
Meanwhile, the Police Service has deployed additional personnel across Kwahu “to ensure the safety of all persons” as investigations continue. Residents have been urged to remain calm while the PPSB reviews whether due procedures were followed.
