BY Issah Olegor
A joint security operation involving the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces and National Security has led to the arrest of eleven suspects and the retrieval of weapons in connection with the escalating chieftaincy dispute at Adamorobe near Aburi in the Akuapem South Municipality.
The operation, described as intelligence-led, was initiated by the Aburi District Police Command on Sunday, May 3, 2026, amid rising tensions in the community over competing claims to the local stool.
During the first phase of the exercise, ten suspects were arrested, with a follow-up operation on Monday, May 4, resulting in the arrest of an additional suspect, bringing the total number of persons in custody to eleven.
Police identified the suspects as Dawu Joseph, 32, a farmer; Evans Dekadzor, 34, a security man; Kwame Aboagye, 45, a vulcanizer; Christian Atsu, 28, a security man; Samuel Annan, 29, a security man; Thomas Davidson, 34, a security man; Abusuapanyin Owusu Paul, 56, a member of the Adamorobe Asekyere royal family; Richard Agyekum, 35, a security man; Jerry Johnson Kwame Atilla, 42, a businessman based in Sowutuom; and Samuel Obeng, a taxi driver in Adamorobe.
The eleventh suspect, Douglas Amoako Danquah, was arrested on Monday after he was reportedly carried shoulder-high in a procession through the town, an act authorities say suggested his installation as a rival chief in defiance of ongoing security and legal restrictions. Micky Osei- Berko aka Master Richard is also a claimant of the stool.
During the operation, security personnel retrieved pump-action rifles and ammunition believed to be linked to the dispute, heightening concerns over the potential for violence.
The development follows earlier warnings by authorities over the risk of unrest in the area, where rival factions have been locked in a protracted disagreement over traditional leadership.
Speaking to the media, Deputy Eastern Regional Police Commander, ACP Richard Appiah, indicated that the operation forms part of broader efforts to restore calm and enforce law and order in the community.
Chieftaincy disputes in Ghana, particularly in parts of the Eastern Region, have historically posed security challenges, often requiring state intervention to prevent escalation.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing and have assured the public that further actions will be taken to ensure stability.
The latest arrests underscore the increasing involvement of security agencies in managing traditional conflicts, as government seeks to prevent the situation in Adamorobe from deteriorating into wider unrest.
