By Daniel Bampoe
The Kusasi Chief in the Ashanti Region, Abdul-Malik Azenbe, who also served as the Chief of the Kadi Divisional Area in Binduri, has been assassinated in what police suspect was a targeted attack.
The brutal killing occurred on the evening of Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at his private residence near the F-line Community Centre in Asawase, a suburb of Kumasi.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the attackers—two unidentified men on a motorbike—struck at approximately 8:40pm.
One of the assailants, reportedly armed with an AK-47 rifle, approached the compound and opened fire on the unsuspecting chief at close range before the duo fled the scene.
Panic immediately gripped residents, some of whom said they heard at least six gunshots.
The chief, affectionately known in the Kusasi community as Kadi Naaba, had been enskinned just three months ago in a ceremony that drew wide community support.
His elevation was seen as a bridge between the Kusasi people in the Northern region and their counterparts residing in the Ashanti Region, particularly in Zongo communities.
After the shooting, the chief was rushed by residents to the Manhyia District Hospital and later transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The motive for the killing remains unclear, though the brazen nature of the attack has raised concerns over growing insecurity and possible chieftaincy-related tensions.
While there is no official confirmation linking the murder to any ongoing disputes, some community members suspect the killing may be rooted in longstanding rivalries or recent political undercurrents within the Zongo traditional leadership.
Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, who led a high-level police delegation to visit the bereaved family hours after the incident, assured the community of a swift and thorough investigation.
“We are treating this as a top-priority case,” DCOP Teye-Cudjoe stated. “Our intelligence teams are already on the ground, and we are calling for public cooperation to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
The police say CCTV footage from nearby buildings is being reviewed, and an appeal has been made to residents to provide any information that could lead to the identification of the attackers.
