By Daniel Bampoe
The Ghana Police Service has officially launched investigations into a shooting incident involving former Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo, in what has become the latest dramatic twist in the escalating succession dispute surrounding the Kristo Asafo Mission following the death of its founder, Apostle Emeritus Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo.
The incident, which occurred at Kwabenya in the Greater Accra Region, has heightened public concern over growing tensions within the influential religious movement and the wider Safo family as disagreements over leadership succession continue to generate controversy and legal battles.
In a statement issued by the Accra Regional Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Police Service on June 21, 2026, authorities confirmed that the Madina Divisional Police Command had commenced investigations into the shooting incident involving the former legislator.
According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo sustained a gunshot injury to her left ear while visiting her late father’s residence at Kwabenya on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Police disclosed that following the incident, the former Member of Parliament reported the matter to the Kwabenya Police Station and presented a vehicle with registration number GN 3482-24 which had visible gunshot damage.
The police statement further indicated that the victim had been issued with a Police Medical Report Form and was currently receiving medical treatment.
Investigators have retained the damaged vehicle for forensic examination as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and identify all persons who may have been involved.
The official police confirmation marks the first formal acknowledgment by law enforcement authorities that the former lawmaker sustained a gunshot injury during the incident.
The development comes against the backdrop of a deepening leadership dispute within the Kristo Asafo Mission, one of Ghana’s most influential religious organizations.
The crisis emerged following the death of Apostle Kwadwo Safo in September 2025, ending the era of a man widely celebrated for his contributions to religion, indigenous technology, manufacturing and industrial development.
As founder of Kristo Asafo Mission and the Kantanka Group, Apostle Kwadwo Safo built a vast religious and business empire that has remained a symbol of Ghanaian innovation and entrepreneurship.
Following his death, disagreements began to surface over who should succeed him as spiritual and administrative head of the church.
At the center of the dispute is Israel Kwadwo Safo, popularly known as Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena, who has been identified by some supporters as the preferred successor to the late founder.
However, the succession process has faced strong opposition from some family members and senior figures within the church who argue that constitutional provisions governing leadership succession have not been properly followed.
The disagreement has since moved beyond internal church deliberations and into the courts.
Only days before the shooting incident, a lawsuit was filed at the General Jurisdiction Division of the High Court in Accra seeking to prevent the installation and recognition of Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena as leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission.
The suit was brought by Kweku Agyenim Boateng, a former Deputy General Secretary of the church, and Seth Appiah Richard Brown, a former Executive Assistant to the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo.
The plaintiffs contend that constitutional amendments introduced in 2024 altered the church’s succession framework and rendered Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena ineligible to assume leadership.
According to the court documents, the plaintiffs are seeking declarations affirming the validity of the amended constitution and injunctions restraining any attempts to install or recognize him as head of the mission until the legal questions are resolved.
The legal challenge has intensified debate within the church and among followers of the Kristo Asafo movement, many of whom regard the succession issue as critical to the future direction of the institution.
The shooting incident is therefore likely to increase scrutiny of developments surrounding the succession process.
While earlier reports suggested the shooting may have occurred amid tensions linked to activities at the residence of Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena, the police statement did not identify any suspects or assign responsibility for the attack.
Authorities also refrained from commenting on possible motives, indicating that investigations remain ongoing.
The retention of the damaged vehicle for forensic analysis suggests that investigators will rely on ballistic examinations and other scientific evidence to reconstruct events and determine how the shooting occurred.
