Earlier reports circulating today, Monday, November 17, suggested that the Paramount Queen Mother of Kwahu, Nana Adwoa Gyamfuah III, had been abducted by National Security operatives who allegedly invaded the Abene Palace. Reacting to the incident, the Kwahu Traditional Council says such claims are false and misleading.

The Council clarified that the National Security personnel were at the palace to enforce an interlocutory injunction issued by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs.

According to the Council, the injunction prohibits the self acclaimed Kwahuhene Baffour Osei Akoto, the Queen Mother, and others from interfering with the legitimate chief’s operations and duties.

According to reports, the gunmen stormed the palace of the Paramount Chief of the Kwahu Traditional Council at Abene around 4 a.m. and took the official Toyota Land Cruiser of the Kwahuhene.Eyewitnesses said they heard gunshots at the palace prior to the abduction. Authorities are yet to issue an official statement, and the motive behind the raid and the abduction remains unclear.

Last month, the Binduri District of the Upper East Region was thrown into mourning following a shooting incident which resulted in the death of three individuals and left five others injured.

According to reports, gunmen attacked and invaded the residence of the victims on Sunday, October 26, and shot them. Among the three deceased individuals is a five-year-old child who died instantly.

The Manager of Binduri-based Maxx Empire Radio and TV, George Bukari, is reported to be among those who sustained injuries in the aftermath of the incident.

The incident has been linked to the long-running Bawku conflict. The conflict, which resurfaced in 2021, has claimed multiple lives and displaced several families. However, the government has, in several ways, initiated efforts to bring calm to the area. In July this year, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) deployed soldiers to conflict-prone areas such as Bawku, Binduri, Nalerigu, and Zebilla.

This update comes less than a week after four individuals lost their lives in a deadly daylight attack at the district office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the region. The unfortunate incident also left several others injured. The deceased individuals include a bystander, an NHIA staff member, a mentally unstable man and Yahaya Bukari, headmaster of Garu D/A Junior High School.

According to eyewitness accounts, the Garu District Office of the NHIA was invaded by four armed men on two motorbikes, who subsequently fired shots wildly. Two of the gunmen are said to have been masks.

“Around 10am there about, we heard gunshots. Initially, we thought it was coming from the rural bank area, but later we found out that the attackers had gone to the health insurance office,” a witness stated.

Speaking to the media, former Presiding Member of the Garu District Assembly and now Assembly Member for Kugri, Edward Ndebugri, recounted that the gunmen later targeted bystanders and fleeing residents.

“There is a public school close to the health insurance office, and when the shooting started, the teachers and pupils began running helter-skelter. The gunmen chased them in the direction they fled, and when one of the teachers fell, they shot him dead,” he added.

The assailants reportedly left the NHIA office with nothing. In response to the incident, heavily armed police and military personnel thronged key areas, including the District Health Insurance Office and the Presbyterian Hospital as of 2 p.m. on Monday.

“The whole town is in shock. This is the first time we are witnessing such an incident. People are living in fear, and we are pleading with the security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Assembly Member for Kugri appealed.

The injured individuals are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the Garu Presbyterian Hospital. Meanwhile, police have launched investigations into the incident to determine the motive behind the attack.

Earlier this month, an armed attack at the Gbintri inland checkpoint in the East Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region has reportedly left an Assistant Immigration Control Officer II (AICOII), Rafiq Mohammed, dead and another officer, AICOII Oppong Daniel, also injured.

While details of the attack remain unclear, reports suggest the incident took place at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, October 3. However, AK-47 shell casings used by the attackers during the operation have been retrieved by the joint response team, led by Superintendent Francis Brobbey, Gambaga Municipal Police Commander, and DIS Moro Tanko Mohammed, North Regional Intelligence Officer of the GIS.

Meanwhile, AICOII Oppong Daniel is receiving treatment at the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in the incident.

In July this year, the lifeless body of an immigration officer identified as Stephen King Amoah, also known as Nana Kofi, was discovered in a drainage system near GBC Satellite, opposite Comet Estate, Accra.

The deceased is said to have gone missing five days (since July 3) before his tragic death. This was contained in a press statement by the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, July 10.

Providing more details about the tragic incident, the police noted that the murderer(s) of the 38-year-old also set his body on fire.

The deceased’s remains have been conveyed to the Police Hospital morgue after the relatives positively identified the body as Stephen.

The police have disclosed that their preliminary investigations indicate the deceased had gone to meet his debtor, one Bright Aweh, who had promised to pay the outstanding debt owed on Thursday, July 3, in the evening.

The victim never returned home that night, and his phone remained switched off throughout, raising concerns among family and friends who later reported him missing.

"Investigations revealed that on 3rd July 2025, at about 8:00 p.m., the deceased left his residence at Ashongman Estate after receiving WhatsApp images of cash bundles from one Bright Aweh, who requested to meet him at a spot at Ashongman Estate to settle an outstanding amount.

"According to the complainant, the deceased never returned home that night, and his phone remained switched off thereafter," the police said.

After the deceased’s family filed a complaint at the police station, Bright Aweh was arrested to assist with the investigation.

He admitted that he met with the deceased and alleged that he gave a cash of GHS500,000 to the deceased, instructing him "to use part of the money to pay off some debts and hold the remaining amount for later collection."

But the police in their statement noted that "the suspect could not clearly explain the source of the funds and gave conflicting statements.”

Meanwhile, the police pledged to get to the bottom of the case and ensure justice is served to the perpetrators.

"The Regional Police Command strongly condemns such violent and criminal acts and assures the public that it is working diligently to uncover the full circumstances surrounding this incident and bring all responsible persons to justice," it added.

Subsequently, the Ghana Police announced the arrest of the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of immigration officer Stephen King Amoah, also known as Nana Kofi on August 4.

This follows the discovery of weapons believed to have been used in the murder of Immigration Officer Stephen Amoah.

During a press briefing on Monday, August 4, the Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, revealed that bloodstains were found in the living room, on a burnt, blood-soaked carpet, and on a fufu pestle suspected to have been used in the murder by the suspect.

According to the Police, the forensic conducted on Thursday, July 24, also exposed freshly sprayed walls, hinting at an attempted cleanup by the suspect.

"The Kwabenya Teshie Police visited the suspect's residence, and the forensic inspection revealed the following bloodstains in the living room and evidence of attempted cleanup, freshly sprayed walls, and an empty can of spray paint. A search of a secondary crime scene near the GBC satellite area also uncovered a burnt woolen carpet and partially burnt camouflage fabric."

"These items were photographed, retrieved and photocopied for forensic analysis. On 24th July, the police received a warrant to search a particular room in the suspect's house. A search in the room revealed more bloodstains, which were photographed and samples collected for forensic analysis. A further search in the bushes about 100 metres from the suspect's house also led to the retrieval of the…" the Police said.

The Service has noted that in the coming days, undertake a DNA exercise on the bloodstains with samples from the deceased mother and son, aiding with the process.

"I wish to say that the initial blood sample collected was positive for human blood. To aid the investigations, the deceased mother and son has provided sample for DNA profiling. In the face of these pieces of evidence the suspect who was initially charged with kidnapping has since been rearrested and formally charged with murder. He is currently on remand following his appearance with the Adabraka District Court and is scheduled to reappear on 8th August 2025.

"A special operation is currently underway to identify and arrest his accomplices and we are following other vital leads to gather all necessary evidence against the suspect and his accomplices. The Ghana Police Service wishes to assure the public that the investigations is ongoing and every effort is being made to ensure that all the perpetrators are prosecuted," she added.

Meanwhile, recent reports suggested that the third suspect involved in the murder of Stephen King Amoah, an Immigration Officer, has succumbed to an illness.

According to sources, the victim's brother, Kwasi Amoako, revealed this information to the media.

"Yesterday we went to court and I can confirm that the third suspect has passed on. I was told by the Police CID, the one who is in charge of the case. We thank God that our brother has started seeking justice for himself," he is quoted to have said by MyJoyOnline.

The police are yet to issue a formal statement on the suspect's death. The Adabraka District Court on August 22, continued hearing the case after remanding the prime suspect into police custody for two weeks.